Ronin Tomorrow
by MorganRay
Summary: The Ronins, the Warlords, and their friends are being stalked by powerful immortals. As mythology becomes reality, can two worlds be saved? The Ronins must teach everyone to fight, but can they win against a goddess? Drama/action/romance with some tragedy
1. Introduction:Dark Goddess

**Ronin Tomorrow**

By MorganRay

**Part One:**

**Interim Battles**

"Between the acting of a dreadful thing  
And the first motion, all the interim is  
Like a phantasma, or a hideous dream."

Julius Ceasar Act II scene i

Prologue: Lady of Darkness

The hall held no echoes, and was devoid of life and sun. A single throne, constructed of sharply hewn stone, connected to the large, obsidian wall that formed one of the four pillars of the ceiling of the endless cave of night. A single, sloping ramp led down into the lowest area, where the throne sat at the end of the huge cavern.

A solitary figure carefully walked down the damp slope. She shivered, her skin exposed all over her body, in the absolute night. Oddly alone, feeling absolutely abandoned, she reached the level floor, untouched by warmth and growth.

To death and darkness, she mused, walking through the tunnel. "Glory and honor," she whispered into the endless night.

"Glory and honor," her words flowed back in mockery. Another voice, just as sensual, feminine, and piercing as her own, replied to her. The naked woman couldn't perceive the familiar figure that stood beyond her blind eyes. "Yes, that's what you've always wanted."

"I will never be denied," she breathed deeper, calming her beating heart. She'd been stripped of her powers, and here, she had but four strengths left to her.

"I have won," she heard the soft giggle in the darkness. She took a step. She felt her sister, ready to prey on her.

"No!" She screamed in fury.

In an instant, she raised her right hand, letting an inferno burst forth. Flames consumed every area around her, driving off the demon of the dark.

"I see," her sister's voice rang as hard as steel. Her sister walked backward, clad in a long, form fitting dress as ebony as the cavern itself. As her sister backed warily away, she let the fire die to a blazing torch in her hand. Her sister's two crimson eyes, gorged with blood and violence, reflected her flowing ginger hair and twin crimson eyes, full of rage and determination.

"I defy you, here and now, I defy your plans, your ways," she felt her voice tremble at first, but it took its usual steadiness as she spoke.

She charged, throwing herself on her sister, using all her physical strength to tear at her, swinging punch after punch, and driving her flame forward. A sword slashed at her throat, but she took her left hand, uncurled her fist, and let the energy of Life radiate. With a shriek, her sister withdrew.

"So, you've brought Life, your body, and fire," the eyes narrowed, scowling at her. She let the fire burn, and the strong presence of Life gave her strength.

"And my will. Fire, sister, unlike light, isn't swallowed in darkness, nor hidden like earth, air, and water. Fire will consume and drive back your darkness," she sternly told the other woman.

Her sister roared, lunging at her with open fists. She dangled the precious Life in her left hand, fighting only with her right. The blows to her naked, unprotected form wrenched her in pain, but she drew on the power of Life. Still, her fire blazed in the endless deep, clashing in scorching blows with her sister's shadows.

With a thrust, a cold hand wrenched her left wrist. She threw all of her flame onto her, yet, she felt her grip weaken. Life fell from her left hand, fading into shadow, yet, her sister soon released her. She saw her singed hair and frayed clothing, and knew she'd done damage.

"I will never quit," she hissed, prepared for her the darkness to engulf her.

Her sister came again, this time, not fearing her spirit, her Life. She drew blow upon blow to corner her against the throne. She scowled, legs pressing into the sharp stone. "I will never bow to you," her voice was almost a feral growl.

"Yes," Her sister growled. She felt the air knocked from her. She felt strong, heavy blows leveled against her. She lay stunned, almost unconscious, on her back, staring up into her sister's hateful eyes. "I have defeated you."

"My children will defy you forever," she whispered, knowing her life was not long.

"You are a virgin," her sister laughed mockingly, hatred still so intense in her eyes.

"My heirs will never be yours. To the end of time, they will remain outside your visions."

Her sister's focus remained so deeply on her only to get a vision. She wanted her inner eye to see the future in the lasts moments of her defeated sister, Ishatar. Instead of triumph, her sister scowled, driving her powers forcefully against her, causing her vision to blur for moments.

"You cannot see me. You have never been able to, for you didn't know I would bring Life here. You will never control the flame, for it smolders even when it appears smothered."

"You will be the ninth to die, and I will have everything I want, for I needed Life also, and you've given it to me," her sister hissed as she drew Ishatar's face close to her own. Their noses touched, and she whispered, "I will hold the power, Ishatar. In the end days, the power of all elements and winds will be mine."

"I have birthed defiance," Ishatar whispered. "Fire will clash, and they will conceive, and birth defiance."

The Present:

"Mistress, Lady," a sweet, child like voice called the lady of darkness from her sleep. She arose naked from the deep, thick sheets that seemed to be black fog. "It draws near," the girl smiled, it seemed, with all her angelic features. Yet, for all her beauty, there was something cruel about the innocent looking blond.

"I know, precious, soon you will enchant so many more, luring them to demise with your utter beauty." The Lady cooed to her precious siren. The long, tan form gracefully crossed the room, bloody eyes scanning those who'd awakened her.

"They've defeated the demon," the shape shifter glared at her mistress, wondering why she'd waited. The shape shifter's lady had long since known that Talpa would lose to these foes, and that's when she said the time would come.

"Yes, my plan is coming full circle," her words rang with authority in the almost silent chamber. She glared down into her crystal, willing herself to see the little manor. Inside slept five young mortals.

"Oh, goody, the little boys," the innocent girl giggled as she peeped over her shoulder to stare, too. "How fun to play with they'll be."

"Why not strike now?" The shape shifter questioned again, but the lady didn't notice, watching the oldest, bearer of the water element, sleep.

"Patience, patience," she hushed the shape shifter and excited blond. She viewed the bearer of light and earth as the dawn arose into their sky. She turned to the warrior of the heavens as he snorted in a dream. She grinned, her eyes falling on the warrior of fire.

"Fire," she whispered, remembering for the first time in many millennia Ishatar's eyes. Her sister mocked her, and now, she knew what children she'd had. Children of spirit, they carried her fire inside them, and being a virgin made her power the stronger in those who'd carried it, for no flesh of her flesh survived.

'I have birthed defiance,' Ishatar's voice haunted her with its boldness.She glared strongly with a complete absence of fear into her eyes. Her sister's offspring led the drive that had thwarted her perfect picture, but no more.

"I will own all things," the lady spoke to herself in a low voice.

"Of course you will," the shape shifter and the girl replied in harmony.

'I have birthed defiance,' the words rang in her mind still.

No, her defiance would end this hour.

A/N: This story is being revised completely, but this chapter is pretty much the same. I tried to clarify it a little, and I hope that my revisions helped. Thanks to my favorite reviewers (you know who you are). The Ronins and company will come into the story, soon, as in the next chapter. Thanks, MorganRay.


	2. Return to Normality

**Chapter One: Return to Normality**

(Ryo)

The morning was a clear, cool one, bringing with it a scent of spring. A soft breeze filtered through the open window and billowed the white curtains. I lay still, feeling my breathing and my heartbeat, listening to the birds chirp outside. They were some where in one of the trees bordering my room, and I was glad that was the only sound for once . A thin ray of pure, soft sunlight drifted onto my sheets and into my eyes.

But I frowned. I had wasted all my vacation fighting. There had been no trips to the beach, pool, or camping expeditions this summer. Granted, it had been worth while, saving the world and everything. I couldn't help the feeling that I threw away all the vacation time I had before school started again. I would be returning to H'ana High for my second year in high school.

"But it won't be the same," I muttered as I rubbed my temples, thinking how I was going to explain this to all my school friends.

They didn't know Cye, Rowen, or Sage. Kento had gone to H'ana before, but we'd never been good friends until this summer. Sure, it would be fun hanging out normally, but the month long absence and sudden additions to the 'gang' were going to need explaining or at least a stupid excuse.

I slammed down the snooze on my alarm clock and headed towards the shower. I had actually gotten up early, but sleeping hadn't been easy last night for a queer reason. What did it matter, and what did it matter if I had a case of the gitters? I snorted to myself as I turned on the shower water. I was so nervous about what my little group was going to think that I couldn't sleep. Man, that was dumb because I realized how exhausted I was going to be today.

I probably should be worrying about important things like how to survive the class work. I'd gone to cram school to even make it into high school. I'd studied like mad to take that damned test, and I passed at average. Thankfully, I could team up and study with Rowen if we had any of the same classes. If not, I'd study with him, anyway.

By the time I was out of the shower, there was life in the manor. The manor had belonged to Mia's grandfather, but she said we could stay there because _she_ lived on campus. We spent practically all our vacation in the mortal world here, so it wasn't a big surprise for us to move into the manor. Besides, it meant that we'd go to the same school.

"Sweet," I said with a smirk, walking back to my room.

I dressed in my gray, very boring, but very well pressed school uniform. The same gray pants, white shirt, and gray jacket that made up Han'a High's _seifuku_ were almost a welcomed relief. Out of habit I grabbed my kanji orb, stuffing it inside my pants pocket.

I plodded down stairs, where Seiji sat, quietly eating and drinking tea. Cye was busy around the kitchen counter. Cye looked like Seiji's kid brother instead of several months his elder.

"Morning," Seiji said, looking perky, even this early. I shook my head, amazed again at how he made the bland, gray uniforms look very stylish. His hair was perfect, and his tall frame seemed to jump right out of a magazine. Anything seemed to match his ice blue eyes and thick, wavy blond mop of hair. "It's good some one else is up. I've marked out our routes."

I walked over to the counter, picking up my map to Han'a High. Seiji had picked up the route we'd take, and he had plotted it out for us last night. We'd walk down the driveway and catch a bus to the school, and it would take us through Tokyo.

"I don't think I've ever done anything but walk to school," I mused. "I've always lived close enough."

"Lived on campus," Cye chimed in from the sink counter. The shorter British boy was busy packing lunches. Mia bought us all different colored _bentoubako._ She'd even gone so far as to put our names on them. If that didn't work, they matched our armor colors. I personally thought this was for moments of Kento's illiteracy.

I stared over at Seiji, pouring myself a bowl of Cheerios. Almost unconsciously, he ran his fingers through the stray lock of blond hair in front of his eyes to smooth it. I snickered, continuing to eat.

"Good thing Mia gave us this place," Cye said as he looked up at me. His soft, teal eyes had an anxious look to them, but he didn't look shabby, either. The soft gray colored_ seifuku_ complimented Cye's sandy brown hair. The mellow, neutral look fitted my good-natured friend perfectly.

"And it's good her and you both cook and clean." I pointed out the obvious fact that Rowen, Kento, and I weren't going to be any help as maids. Cye shrugged, walking over to the table, lunches all packed.

"It'd be better if Rowen and Kento thought about getting up," Seiji mumbled. I realized we might need to leave soon.

"I'll go get them," Cye offered, walking up the stairs. I finished my breakfast, deciding I'd have time for a second helping. I stuffed more cereal into my mouth as Seiji grabbed our canvas mailbags, placing them by the door. Again, Mia bought them, and she'd made each strap a different color.

"If they don't get down here . . ." Seiji muttered nervously. I smirked, giving the unofficial organizer of our little house a sarcastic look.

"Not in touch with your chi this morning?" I teased. Seiji wasn't amused and just shook his head at me. The sunrays caught on his golden hair, sparkling along the strands when he moved.

"You look presentable," Cye nagged Kento as he marched him down the stairs. Kento's thick, tousled, unkempt black hair definitely hadn't had a comb run through it this morning. Kento, although the shortest, but almost Cye's height, was definitely the widest. He grabbed the cereal, which would be gone in minutes.

"It's not _my_ first day at H'ana High," Kento muttered. He filled a bowl with cereal, splashing milk over the table while hurriedly filling it up. "Everyone knows me from way back."

"I'm sure," Seiji replied dryly. He looked over at Kento with a slight frown. He couldn't conceive that someone might not want to be immaculate. "Where's Rowen? We're leaving if he doesn't . . ."

"Walk down," Rowen yawned in the middle of his sentence.

I smirked, realizing I had nothing to worry about in the bed head contest. Rowen's soaking wet blue hair, held up by his _hachimaki_, dripped water as he bounded down the steps in long strides. The tallest, and ironically, the youngest, Rowen managed to pull off a punk look in his gray, baggy _seifuku. _The only reason it was baggy was because Rowen was the thinnest guy I'd ever met.

"Alright, does everybody have their _koushou_?" Seiji asked. He walked over, giving the scraggly Rowen a disapproving look. 

"No, _mom_," Rowen replied sarcastically. He walked to the cupboard, snagging several candy bars. I was surprised those lasted as long as they did with Kento. If Rowen didn't have low blood sugar, Kento definitely would've eaten every single one weeks ago.

"Seriously, is everyone ready? Do we have all of our _taisougi?_" Seiji rebounded from Rowen's comment. I shook my head, throwing my bowl in the sink. I gave Seiji a mock salute.

Seiji didn't reply to that, but Kento snickered between bites. I picked up my mailbag, looking at the soft, red strap. I slung it on my shoulder, making sure my _koushou_ was in the right spot.I adjusted the little pin before walking out the door.

"We'll meet you two outside," Seiji said as he grabbed his bag. Cye followed suit, and the three of us walked outside into the crisp, clear morning. I looked up at the bright blue heavens, already free of the yellow tints from the sunrise.

Rowen and Kento walked out the door, and Rowen locked it up. Seiji handed out our maps and led the way down the bumpy, gravel driveway. We were in driving distance from Tokyo, but unfortunately, none of us could drive.

"So, what's old H'ana High like?" Cye asked nervously. He looked up at me, a slight frown on his innocent features.

"One, eighteen, twenty-seven, eleven, twenty-one," Rowen mumbled as he unwrapped another candy bar. I paused, staring dumbly at him. It was Rowen, though, and random statistics were just a way of life.

"What's with the numbers?" I looked between an embarrassed Cye and half-asleep Rowen.

"He's counted every time I've asked that question, everyday, for the last four days," Cye muttered, ducking his head slightly to hide the flush that came over his face. I laughed lightly, amused at how Rowen put his brain to use.

"Only once today. You're doing great," Rowen said in a sleepy, groggy voice. He stuffed the last wrapper in his bag. Rowen was the only person I knew who could consume more junk food than Kento. What a metabolism that boy must have, burning off all those fatty calories. He just didn't talk about food every waking hour.

"I told you, it's about six hundred per graduating class with the typical cliches," I said as I peered up at Cye. He'd never gone to school in Japan before. He'd been in Britain since he was six, with the exceptional visit back to the Mouri estate in Japan.

"It's school, man! There's no better way to say it!" Kento blurted out, slapping Cye on the back. Cye stumbled forward, bumping into Seiji.

"Oh," Cye mumbled as he shrugged, obviously nervous. Seiji turned around, shaking his head at Kento. I walked up to Seiji, throwing my arm around his waist. I bumped his hip, trying to keep a straight face, unlike the three guys behind us.

"The gap in your maturity level is amazing," Seiji smirked, pushing me away from him. I chuckled, walking back over, grinning fiendishly. "One minute, you're taking charge in the field of battle, and the next, making metrosexual gestures with me."

"I amaze myself with all my talents," I smirked as we arrived at the end of the drive. Almost as we got down there, the gray bus pulled up. I grabbed my bus pass, showed it to the driver, and grabbed a seat near the back.

Rowen slumped in the seat beside me, while Seiji sat in front of us. Kento and Cye took the seat behind us, and the bus sped off, churning into downtown Tokyo. I watched the trees dissolve into tall skyscrapers through my reflection in the tinted windows. People walked in throngs beside the bus as we came to a halt in traffic.

"We'll need an extra fifteen minutes tomorrow," Seiji said as he turned around. He looked back at Rowen, slumped and snoring in his seat, and shook his head. "That guy sleeps any where."

Soon, the bus pulled up in front of the two-story brown buildings. The school crept like a brown snake, sprawling out into a huge gymnasium and swimming complex. I shook Rowen, who grumbled, begrudgingly staggering to his feet.

"Let's drop these off, first," Seiji said as he waved his map at us. We walked off the bus, getting blended into the sea of gray uniforms. Cye looked anxiously around, wondering at the huge mass of people talking excitedly to each other.

"Okay!" I shouted to the guys to keep us together.

I found Kento, and we led the guys towards the black, steel double doors. We got shuffled through, and Kento waved to some people. I helped the five of us plow our way towards the office, where we dropped off the maps. After we'd turned them in we were each handed a schedule and a card, stating our room numbers and school numbers.

"Same room as last year," I shrugged, a quick smile coming over my face. Thankfully, I enjoyed my roommates.

"Am I with anyone?" Cye looked between the four of us, all reading our junior schedules. "I'm in two-three?"

"You're with me," I smirked as Cye's nervous gaze dissolved slightly. He looked greatly relieved, and secretly, so was I. I looked between the other three, hoping that maybe I'd be with some one else.

"Man, I'm two-eight," Kento grumbled. He frowned at Cye and me, turning hopelessly towards Seiji and Rowen.

"No luck here," Rowen yawned as he shrugged. "I'm two-one, and Seiji is two-two."

"What do these mean?" Cye pointed to his _syusseki bangou_, which was 4,893.

"That's your number that they call role with," I began to explain. Suddenly, a tide of students switched directions, propelling us back towards the doors. I grabbed Cye's arm, tugging him towards the doors that led towards the gym.

"Where are we going?" Cye shouted through the mob.

"The _tyourei_ is starting! We've got to get lined up!" I shouted. I pulled Cye into the bustling auditorium. I knew roughly that he'd be in the back, and I was always in the back, too. I grabbed Cye, pulling him towards the last row, where his number indicated he should stand.

"Where are you going?" Cye yelped. I walked up a row, not having time to explain everyone needed in his or her spots. I stood perfectly still as the principle came into the room. The echoing of voices in the cavernous gym stopped, and the room was filled with nothing but the click-click of the shoes of the principle as he strode towards us.

"Rei!" The principle commanded us. I bowed neatly at the waist, in sync with the people beside me. After I looked up, the balding principle began to make the welcome back speech. It didn't matter what he said, I knew this year was supposed to be as hard as hell.

Utilizing my visual abilities, I motionlessly scanned the crowd for my friends. I could pick Seiji's blond head out, even though he was in the second row. Rowen, easily taller than everyone except five or six people, stood out like a sore thumb with his matted down blue hair. It took me a while, but I picked out Kento, too, seven rows in front of me.

After several announcements and the annual school rule reading, the _tyourei_ was over. I went back to find Cye, but a throng of people swarmed between us. They became an unbreakable clump, heading for the door to start this school year. I groaned, shuffling deftly along through the mass blob.

"Ryo!" A familiar voice yelled to me. I turned to see Lee walk over. He was about my height with small, inch high black spikes in his jet-black hair. "Went AWOL for a month, huh?"

"Took a couple unexpected trips," I threw out the first explanation.

"Where'd you go?" Lee said nonchalantly as he elbowed his way to my side. Was he tanner? "Sure doesn't look like you went to the beach."

"No, went…to Europe for some camping," I stumbled across another explanation. "You went to the beach?"

"Yup," Lee grinned from ear to ear. Lucky bastard, going to the beach. "It was GREAT! I wanted you to go, but that last minute trip there must have been the reason." I could see Lee didn't quite believe that it was last minute.

"Well, you know, I was busy packing and stuff, and calling wasn't really in the picture. I would probably have been grounded or something, anyway," I outright lied. What was I supposed to tell him? 'Yeah, sorry, couldn't go because I was fighting this bastard demon who had this fetish to take over the mortal realm?'

"So, what's our first class? I assume we're in the same room again?" Lee asked.

I dug out my schedule. Lee looked over at me, his tan face not looking extremely worried, assuming we'd be together like normal. As if his new muscular frame wasn't good enough, he looked taller, too.

"Um . . . looks like Trig for the first lesson today," I groaned.

I almost smacked my head against the wall. Lee laughed at me as we slid our way into our hallway. Memories of last year in Algebra were enough to kill my appetite for school. I thought I'd suddenly develop this love for everything normal, including studying. I snickered impulsively, realizing how over rated normal could be again.

"Glad you think that's funny," Lee said as he grinned back at me with his famous sarcastic smile. His eyes always held that teasing look, no matter what he said.

"Not that . . . something else, sorry," I said absentmindedly. Lee tugged my shoulder, directing me into the classroom. One wall was mostly large windows that could be opened if needed. I gazed at the spotless cream walls and tile, realizing I'd soon have to clean those.

I looked over at the group of students Lee joined. One guy sat timidly in a chair, smiling up at the people around him. With his bowl cut hair and shy aura, Akio blended pleasantly into the background unlike his twin, Tomo. With his hair tossed up and a bit long, Tomo stood over Akio, talking lively to the little group. The relation was obvious, but the personalities were contradicting.

"Lee! OH! Ryo!" The girl participating the most in the conversation shouted.

Her silky black hair was held up in two bobs, each one twisted artfully onto opposite sides of her head. Her eyes sparkled, and Lily never seemed to stop moving.

"Well, look who is back," another familiar voice added.

The auburn hair girl, who stood several inches taller than Lily, turned towards me. She smiled wickedly at me, putting both hands on her hips. Nilla's mother was French, as shown in her hair and eyes. However, her father was Japanese, which showed in her face and silky texture of her shoulder length hair.

"With you gone, we didn't get nearly as many ridiculous ideas, though. The summer felt quite tame," Akio replied quietly, shaking his head. Tomo groaned, throwing his head back to get the point across of how bored he'd been.

I went to laugh, but I turned around. I had the sudden feeling I was being watched. It wasn't a new feeling. I gazed behind myself, feeling as if eyes were boring into my back. I felt as if a shadow sat behind my back, but when I turned around, there was nothing. It was a figment of my imagination.

"Get over here and tell us where you've been!" Tomo yelled, snapping me back towards them. I felt a shadow pass over me, for a brief moment, and then, the world seemed normal again.

But as I stared at my friends, anxiously awaiting news of my absence, I realized it never would be normal.

A/N:

July 2007

Once again, I redid this chapter with some grammar changes only. I'm going to go through part one and update the grammar. You should check out the quote at the beginning of the prologue. It's one of my favorite, and the best line I took away from one year of gifted english.

for those who don't know, this is my new, and hopefully improved, version. Tell me what you think, and I'm drilling away at the next chapter. I've also redone the 1st chapter, too. I've decided to use Seiji instead of the RW Sage, because I frankly just like the name Seiji better. It's a better name, I think, and it's more of a real name than Sage. Here's the list of meanings for the Japanese words I used, if you don't know what they mean already.

_Taisougi_: gym uniform

_Hachimaki_: head band

_Koushou_: label pin

_Bentoubaki_: lunchbox

_Seifuku_: school uniform

_Tyourei:_ a meeting before class.

_syusseki bangou_: class numbers

Thanks for pointing out my sloppy, inaccurate writing. I am actually very meticulous about researching. I wrote this story for love of the anime and my own interests. So, here's to revisions.

Thanks, MorganRay


	3. H'ana High

**Chapter 2: Han'A High School**

**(Kento)**

The _tyourei _ended, and the masses flocked towards the doors. I stuck out my elbows slightly, easily bumping my way towards the door. I looked through the thick crowd, spotting Cye, who was floundering in the mob.

"Cye!" I called as I found my friend after we'd both squeezed through the door. I caught up to him, and we jostled our way through the halls together.

"I don't know where this room is, and I can't find Ryo," Cye asked as he pulled out his schedule.

"I've never been to that room. I've never been to that room or in this grade," I told Cye with a frown. The crowd started to thin out as we slid our way through the halls.

"You've never been here? I thought you've gone to this school before?" Cye asked, letting an amused smile play over his lips. A gentle laugh filled his eyes as he looked up at me. "Are you sure you aren't repeating a grade?"

"Yeah, I've gone to the school, and no, I am not repeating," I grumbled.

"Then, where is the room, Kento?" Cye asked slowly, restraining any laughter other than a huge, yet good-natured grin.

"I thought you meant if I'd been in the room, okay?" I mumbled as Cye chuckled. "It's down the hall, two doors on the right."

"Where's your room?" Cye asked, a slightly amused smile still on his face. Stupid little twit, always trying to get the better of me. I couldn't believe I'd put up with him this long, roommate, coworker, and everything.

"It's up those stairs on the next floor," I replied as I went to point out the stairs. I paused, scratching my head at why those stairs weren't in front of me. Then, I turned around, realizing we'd just passed them a minute ago.

"Those stairs?" Cye chuckled, turning me in the direction we'd just come. I glared back at him as he stood there with a glitter of playfulness in his eyes. "See you later, Han'a High native."

"Watch your mouth," I commanded, pointing at Cye, who shook his head with a laugh. I let my threats fall as I walked up the stairs away from Cye.

I walked through the upstairs hallway, opening the door into a brightly-lit cream room. At the front was a chalkboard, completely green and free of chalk dust. I'd barely walked in the room before I noticed a tall boy with short buzz cut hair and well defined muscles even under his uniform.

"Kento!"

I turned around as a tall, lanky black boy bounded up towards me. His frizzy ebony hair puffed out in an afro because the school wouldn't let him wear it in corn rows or dread locks like he'd done in America.

"Sean," I said, feeling a grin spread over my face as my friend slapped me on the back. His clasp turned into a tight hug.

"Sean, man, maybe in America you give your friends awkward hugs, but don't do it here, dude," I told Sean while I pried him off me. Bahkura, the guy with the buzz cut hair, glared threateningly at Sean.

"No male bonding here," Bahkura answered shortly, a slight scowl on his face.

"You two," Sean sighed flatly, "Barrels of fun some days, but oh well, I'm still catching onto the Japanese thing."

"So, where did you go?" Bahkura picked up the question. "Your parents said China to visit relatives. Sean was in America visiting relatives all summer. I was bored."

"What'd ya do?" Sean begged eagerly as he leaned impatiently across towards me. "I didn't hear anything, not even a letter, from you!"

"That's because I know you can't read," I joked, giving Sean's shoulder a slight punch. Without Seiji or Rowen, I felt smarter.

"Seriously, what did you do?" Bahkura's more sober eyes met mine. I swallowed a slight lump, ready to start a story.

"Well . . . I hung out with people, and we went to see this really cool castle thing," I adlibbed my way, watching as Sean eagerly swallowed it, and Bahkura finally nodded his consent.

"What next!" Sean jumped in anxiously.

"Then, well, they did battle reenactments at the castle, and it was the coolest part," I finished, grinning at both of them. "I would've rather been here."

"You know it!" Sean laughed. Bahkura nodded stoically, shaking his head. I felt the sweat stop dripping down my neck, glad my amended story satisfied the two of them.

"Should have picked up girls, too," Bahkura mumbled with a slight grin in his eyes. I nodded, biting my lip a little. Oh, yeah, I needed to see more ladies than Kayura and Mia again.

"Speaking of hot chicks, were is Kaede?" Sean looked around. "She's a man eater, and scared the hell out of me a little, which is why I didn't ask her out, but man, she's hot."

"She's in the smart science classes now," Bahkura grumbled, disappointed our long time pal Kaede wasn't here. She could act more like a dude than Sean while looking fabulous the entire time. She was one hot lady, but I considered her more of a friend. Also, I knew her antics.

"I'll miss getting her to do my homework for me," I said remorsefully. "She saved my butt every year at least six times."

"We'll see her later. She missed you, too, by the way," Bahkura added as the teacher walked into the room. I took my seat, which was beside Sean. I was slightly excited, more than I'd ever been about school. Still, part of me wanted to just get the hell out of this place. I wanted to have some more fun.

"Can't wait to study all year long, can you?" Sean muttered into my ear. I sighed, and found myself partly wishing I could just run around and kick demon ass forever.

(Rowen)

"Two-one," I mumbled to myself. I peered over the heads of the crowd, walking single-mindedly towards the doors. I was one of the taller people I knew, having out-passed Seiji with my latest growth spurt by four inches.

People all around me just kept screaming out greetings to one another as they met to go to class. I frowned slightly, realizing I didn't know anybody. I shrugged, ignoring that fact the way I'd always done. I was smarter and better than them, anyway.

The public school was bigger than the expensive private school my father always insisted I attend. I'd spent most of my time holed up in a lab or over a book, considering my father was too busy and my mother, well, I was her little friend whom she called a son.

'Rowen-kun, why don't you talk to more people?' She'd nagged me about that consistently as I poured over my lessons. That was, well, when she wasn't running all over the world covering stories for various famous papers. It was her only motherly tendency.

'Because,' was my favorite answer. 'They're all a little too intense and excitable for me.'

'Rowen-kun, you need to get out of that lab and make friends. Books aren't real friends.' She'd then laughed, insisting on doing something stupid, like shopping, with me.

I sighed, realizing I'd gotten to my room, two-one, almost right by the gymnasium. I studied the single person sitting in a desk, realizing I was one of the first people to class. I walked in, heading into the back corner where I was supposed to sit.

Good, I liked the back anyway. I'd sit by one person in front, and there was only one person to ignore beside me. I plopped down, digging out my schedule. I quickly slipped in a piece of the final candy bar I'd brought.

First, chemistry, which was good because I liked it. Second, calculus, which was also excellent because I liked that subject, too. Then, earth and space science, which was also good, because I could coast through that class. Finally, my run of science and math classes got cut short by grammar. I sighed, putting away my schedule, pulling out _Brave New World_, which I'd bought at a discount bookstore. I'd almost finished it, and then I'd add it to the growing mass of books in our bedroom. They sprawled across a bookshelf, into the closet, on the nightstands, and were starting to fill up crates.

"What are you reading?"

I looked up when she asked. She sat across from me, and I mentally groaned. I didn't need hassled by airhead girls. Then, I got a better look at her.

She had the typical shiny ebony hair, pulled up elaborately by chopsticks. They were covered in elaborate, fine silver, kanji filigree, which matched the beautiful silver stars dangling on a very beautiful chain. However, intense eyes surveyed my hands carefully, eyeing up my book.

"_Brave New World_. It's a version of the technology totally suppressing individuality theme," I replied, surprised she'd asked because if I'd just seen her, I would have taken her for a slut. Her gray uniform was as tight as she could get it without being expelled. It looked risqué with the amount of cleavage she dared to show in school. I had to focus more intently on her eyes when she crossed her legs, allowing her skirt to slid up her lean, porcelain legs.

"I've never read it. Sounds interesting. I like your hair. I didn't think you were allowed to dye it, though," she switched briskly from books to my hair. I absentmindedly touched a piece and laughed.

"What? Is it a good story?" As she smiled, a bright pair of healthy teeth shown. I also took note of her manicured nails, gleaming pale, with a clear coat of polish.

"I was very little, maybe five, and I went into my father's laboratory," I launched into the story. She cocked her head, sparkling almond eyes brooding with interest. "I started tampering with my father's chemicals, and I spilled a great deal on my head."

"Did it turn your hair blue?" She leaned across. A bracelet that matched her necklace with all the charm stars dangling from it jingled as she moved.

"No, it burnt my hair off. I was born with it this color. I guess it's one of those weird mutations, maybe like albino characteristics," I ended on a note of sarcastic mirth. Her laugh, a clear melodic sound, echoed around the room, filling out the curiously beautiful girl that sat across from me. Then, she threw one leg over another, and I concentrated more on her face again.

"That's very interesting. I must say, I don't have any mutations myself, nor have I ever known a mutant. Who are you? I know you weren't here before," the girl asked as her almond eyes seemed to glow with vivid intelligence.

"Hashiba Rowen," I said as I extended my hand since getting up to bow would require too much movement. "And you?"

"Moiji Kaede," she said, and I thought her voice was like the notes of a clarinet: not too high, but not low, either, yet rich and melodic.

"Pleased to meet you, Kaede," I replied while I restrained my curiosity about her. Her lips curled upwards, a slight gleam of allure coming into her eyes.

"The pleasure is all mine," she leaned closer, whispering the last bit to me as the teacher walked in the room. She pulled away as she rose, and I noticed she was tall for a girl. She was shorter than Seiji, about as tall as Ryo, but definitely taller than Kento or Cye.

"Rei!" All of the students bowed together, and then, we took our seats. Kaede looked over at me as the thin, paper text books were passed back the rows. Then, lab partner assignments were passed back. We'd never change lab partners, unless an emergency happened and one person couldn't be present.

Moiji Kaede. I stared down at the paper, reading the name about three times before the information seeped into my brain. I glanced sideways, meeting her indiscreet staring, which accompanied the impishly satisfied smile slinking across her face.

I turned away, slightly confused. Was she a slut? Was she an intellectual? I didn't need a dog in heat chasing after me, but her initial interest in my book kept me from dismissing her. I rubbed my temples, wishing I were back in bed, but with my school books as company.

(Cye)

The first teacher left the room, giving us about ten minutes to chat. I slipped the textbook into my book bag, not used to the paper textbooks. At the academy in London, we had always used huge, thousand page textbooks. I looked to my left, staring at the tree, almost done blooming, directly outside my window. However, I felt my shoulder tugged from the right.

"So, Mouri Cye, you've said hello to us and that's it?" The girl's high pitched, bird like voice twittered. Lively, sapphire eyes with baby blue irises amplified Lily's words. A rim of dark, glassy blue pervaded slightly into the sparkling centers of her eyes.

"Lily-chan _just_ wants your attention," Nilla's calmer voice replied. Her voice was deeper, a little rough, and I thought she sounded a bit like Mia.

"I don't know a lot of English like people," Lily giggled, batting her eyes at me. I turned away, biting my lip. She was a cute, petit girl with long, raven hair that glimmered like fine, Chinese silk.

"That's because when you blow through her ears, you feel your breath on the other side," Lee let out the jarring comment as he slid his head between us. I jumped slightly, not expecting him. The dark skinned boy blew a hard breath into Lily's right ear, mostly hidden by her hair.

"Lee-kun!" Lily's voice rose, high and squealing as she slapped at Lee. He pulled back, laughing. "Why do you always do something like that?"

"Because," Lee replied sarcastically, turning around to talk to Tomo and Ryo again. I stared back, catching Ryo's bored, tense gaze. I went to get up, wondering what was wrong with him.

"Cye! Don't let Lee-kun bother you," Lily talked, and then had me seated in five seconds, tops. "What were we talking about?"

"Well," Nilla laughed, leaning forward around Lily to grin at me. "You can't say Lee is a liar."

"Nilla-chan," Lily muttered, giving her friend a playful pout. I couldn't guess how long these two had been friends, but for a second, I remembered all the times, including this morning, when I'd done something similar to Kento.

"We were talking about how Cye hasn't said hardly more than hello to us," Nilla replied, keeping a friendly grin on her face. Her eyes met mine, and her calm amusement at Lily's little antics shimmered across her face.

"I'm so bad at English." Lily sighed with a shake of her head. "I did summer school last year because I hardly passed. Where . . . grammar, oh my! Then, I think it might . . . I can't believe you can go to there . . . where is there?"

"London," I let out a hesitant reply, hardly believing the little girl had stopped talking. I hardly heard half of what she'd said in less than thirty-seconds. I breathed, not sure if she'd really stopped. I sighed, realizing I was a bit rusty on my Japanese, even after officially moving back to the estate.

"London! Like, on the island?" Lily gasped, sending Nilla into a fit of hysterics. Her red hair fell smoothly in front of her face, hiding some of her snickers. However, Lily was looking right at me as I tried to hide my own chuckle.

"Well? I'm sorry, it's just that . . . there are a lot of islands," Lily whimpered, a slight blush going over her face. Her smooth hair fell like a velvet curtain in front of her face. She pushed it back, smiling girlishly from underneath her dark veil.

"Mouri, that's Japanese, isn't it?" Nilla's calm voice was in control again. She'd stopped laughing and leaned around to talk to me again.

"Yes, my dad was the owner of the Mouri estate," I answered Nilla. She raised her eyebrows with a nod of understanding. Lily looked between us, biting her lip as she followed our conversation.

"Why did you go to England?" Nilla asked, fascinated with a history I really didn't want to tell two strangers.

"Because my mum was from London, and she came to Japan, met my dad, and married. I attended this academy with uniforms and stayed in a dorm, like I'm doing now, so it's not too different," I gave the brief part, which I felt comfortable telling. I didn't feel like talking about how my dad died, which caused us to move into London quite yet, or really, I didn't talk about it. I'd only mentioned it to Kento once, and that was in a rare moment.

"Oh, kind of like my mom. She came from France," Nilla's voice became less energetic, and she nodded, turning towards the front of the room as Lily quickly butted inot her space.

"I've been in Japan my entire life. I don't go anywhere. Really, I've only been on this island my entire life. You're lucky, traveling everywhere, but of course, I'd probably get lost. Then there's . . ."

She never got her words out. A huge bang erupted from right beside Lily. Lily screamed, spinning around towards the noise. I clutched my armor orb impulsively, ready to draw on the pulsing power.

"Nilla!"

Her chair had tipped over, and Nilla lay still in the position she'd sat, her auburn red hair sprawled behind her. I jumped up, moving over towards her motionless frame along with Tomo, Lee, and Ryo. Akio rushed from the front of the room, running with a petit Caucasian woman.

"Nilla! Help her! Nilla!" Lily's frantic screams pierced my ears as she began to cry, leaning over Nilla, shaking her.

"Give her room! Give her room! Back up!"

The Caucasian woman took control, pushing back Lily. Tomo and Ryo each grabbed one of her shoulders, making sure she'd stay back. Akio and I looked over the woman's shoulders as she leaned to one side of Nilla, feeling her pulse and checking her breathing.

"What happened?" The woman demanded as she looked up at the crowd of students over small, wireless spectacles. Her silver hair was neatly pulled up in a bun with chopsticks. However, her face showed minimal wrinkles, and her gray eyes pierced each one of us with an intelligent stare.

"We were sitting here talking, and she just fell," I stumbled over the words, unsure if there'd been any dramatic moments when Nilla showed she was going to faint.

"Get a nurse," the woman snapped, waving a hand over Nilla's glazed chestnut eyes. They didn't focus, and her face was pasty, dripping with sweat.

"Uh!" Nilla jumped, her eyes refocusing, and she went to jump up. The woman reached out, grabbing Nilla as she bolted up. She then eased her into a sitting position. Nilla still had that pasty color, even though she was alert.

"Tell me what happened. Do you have a medical history?" The woman looked at Nilla calmly, then gave the rest of us a quick, demanding stare.

"No, I don't think so," Ryo spoke up. The lady nodded, eyes focused on Nilla, who was shaking a little, looking around the room, almost trying to find something.

"I . . . I don't know. I thought I saw . . . something, like . . . a snake," Nilla stuttered. The lady motioned for some of us to come over. Lily darted free, finding her way to Nilla's side.

"I'll help her! Let me take her to the nurse!" Lily chirped up.

"Can you stand?" The woman inquired as they helped Nilla to her feet. Nilla nodded slightly, resting her shaky form on Lily's little frame.

"I'm fine," Nilla whispered, her voice recovering its steadiness. The lady looked remotely satisfied, and Lily and a couple other people took Nilla out of the room. The woman took a huge breath and let out a gigantic sigh.

"We're going to have to start class now. Let's skip the bowing, since we're all up and attentive already," she remarked sharply, motioning us to all sit down.

"She's the grammar teacher?" Tomo gaped from right behind me. "Oh man, this is our English teacher."

Yes, as she pulled out the little textbooks, passing them back the rows, I realized she was. The class was disturbingly somber now and completed the task quickly. Then, she passed back a cassette tape. One side of the little plastic tape was labeled "Common English Phrases," while the other side read "Grammar in Context."

"Hello, I'm Ms. Lauren Smith," the woman addressed the class in a clear, fluent English. I turned a little, seeing several students looking nervously around at their classmates. "As I'm sure some of you have guessed, I'm the English teacher for most of this grade. Han'a High as one of the highest rates of foreign exchange students in Japan. I am a native to San Francisco, California, in the United States. I currently have a bachelor's degree in Japanese literature, and a master's degree in English literature from Brown University."

"Hell, she's the first native English speaking teacher we've had," I heard Lee groan.

"Mr. Tabiki, mind your language," Ms. Smith rebuked him in fluent Japanese. Lee jerked upright like a board, giving her a nod from his seat. The woman walked back the rows, looking over each student.

"The text books are self explanatory. You've had these types of grammar books. However, the tapes are new because not only are you going to read English, you're going speak it properly, also. I find this is commonly the poorest aspect of foreigners learning English. I want all of you to listen through the first two sections of "Grammar in Context" tonight."

The woman walked through the rows of silent students, reaching the front of the classroom. Her step made no sound, but her unyielding presence made all eyes follow her. As she got to the front she headed towards the door. She spun around on her heels, eyeing up the class for a moment before she spoke.

"Cye Mouri and N'deki Ferguson, please follow me," Ms. Smith's voice felt as if it alone made me rise from my seat. I walked stiffly towards the door, uncomfortable with the eyes of all the other students panning over me. A girl with limp, tawny hair walked, head bent, behind me out the door. She was about my height, just a little shorter, but impossibly thin, like she'd break if touched too hard.

"Yes?" I asked hoarsely when she shut the door. The girl looked up, her soft, sable colored eyes focusing on the woman, waiting for her to speak. However, she was too afraid to ask her anything.

"I'm aware both of you have extensive backgrounds in English speaking countries, correct?"

"Yes," I replied tensely, wondering where this was going. Ms. Smith focused her intent stare on me, then turned to the pale N'deki, who gave a slight nod.

"N'deki, you've tutored in the past, correct?" The woman waited to speak again until the girl nodded. "This year, I'm going to give you our more difficult students, about ten."

Ms. Smith handed her an envelope with a couple tapes. "All these students have had classes in Japanese, however, none of them are proficient and none have permanent residencies for their year in Japan."

"You want me to tutor?" I spoke up, directing Ms. Smith's attention towards me.

"Yes, but just those in the classroom or in other classes who I consider to be having problems. Any questions?" Ms. Smith added briefly, looking between the two of us.

"You'll just update me, then?" I asked hesitantly. Ms. Smith nodded promptly, and looked over at N'deki.

"No, I don't have any more questions," she replied with a voice like soft air blowing through a window, whispering not in wind chimes with a sweet jangle, but sighing in the curtains as it blew the dust from them.

"Very well. I expect the best from both of you," Ms. Smith gave us a slightly warm send off as she escorted us back into the room. I sat down, and began leafing through the ridiculously easy book then threw it in my book bag. Soon, Ms. Smith left the room, leaving us another ten minutes.

(Seiji)

The room was a cool, clean one with two windows open, letting in the soft, spring breeze. Outside the window, a thin, young tree grew crimson buds which were clustered thickly on branches, shining with the new health of a spring day. Faint tints of pastel pink peeked out along the many twigs, about to burst into beautiful rose colored petals.

I liked this room and that tree more than many things I had seen today. I disliked the noise of the students and the slowness with which we'd struggled out of the house. I leaned against a desk with both elbows, staring out the window into the beautiful day to relieve my stress. I turned slightly on hearing a couple high-pitched giggles.

Behind me stood a group of six girls with ebony hair and almond eyes. They all looked remotely identical, at first glance, in their gray _seifuku _uniforms.

"Hi, I don't think I've seen you here before. What's your name?" The tallest girl said as she twirled a lock of her hair.

"Date Seiji," I replied with a polite smile and bow. The girl leaned forward, a slight rouge tint in her cheeks.

"Seiji. It means "sage," doesn't it? Does that mean you're really smart?" The girl asked enticingly, taking a couple steps towards me. I backed up, keeping a slight smile of politeness on my lips, but I had the urge to bolt that instant. The first hint of a moronic mind made me uneasy.

Suddenly, I felt the back of my legs hit a chair. I sat down, but behind, beside, and in front of me all the other girls moved in around me. I had the odd feeling of an animal backed into a trap.

"Well, girls . . ." I replied hesitantly. I stared between all the faces, feeling caged and remotely bewildered. The throng of girls wasn't unusual, but this particular pack worked very efficiently.

"You like our school?" one asked with a high-pitched giggle.

"I would like my seat," a stern voice cut into the giggly tones.

I blinked at the dark skinned female with the deeper, commanding voice. The taller girl who'd first spoken to me moved to face the new girl. She was shorter, five one maybe, with mocha skin and thick, frizzy hair curled in tight ringlets and pulled back in a ponytail. Her gray _seifuku_ was baggy, even on her petit frame. I had a feeling she'd bought the _seifuku_ large on purpose.

"Did you hear me?" She snapped, her eyes speaking more to me than her voice. They were deep, agitated, chocolate eyes which drove the full power of her attitude straight into my mind, imbedding the stern, fierce look of her eyes forever.

"Nakeisha, go away. We were talking to Seiji," the tall girl retorted, her voice no longer sugary sweet.

"Blondie is in my seat," she snapped, spinning around towards me. Her lips pursed as she raised her eyes. I purposefully concentrated on keeping my face expressionless because I was not used to being snapped at by a girl. I had no power to speak or move for several moments as she made sure the other ladies understood her. The only girl I'd ever had problems with had been Kayura and my sister, Yayoi.

"Excuse me, I'm not here due to my own choice," I was surprised at my own curt attitude. Nakeisha raised her hands, rolled her eyes, and pretended to be offended. Then, she cut between the girls, sticking her nose an inch from mine.

"I'm not in a good mood. I'm not having a good morning. Get out of my seat," she hissed, accenting each of her syllables. I stood up, looked at the seating chart, and groaned as I plopped down in the seat next to the dark skinned she-devil.

"The teacher is coming. Leave me alone," she muttered as she stood to bow.

"Can't. I sit here," I retorted, pointing to my seat. She looked smitten by a punch to the gut, and this time her jaw dropped as I spoke.

(Ryo)

We were dismissed to lunch, and as Tomo, Lee, and Akio rushed over to their lunch boxes, I stayed in my seat. I stared dumbly at my hands, unsure of what to do now.

My vacation was a mess, to say the least, and now, my life could become a mess, also. Where had I gone? Well, that little question asked by the group of my closest friends wasn't an easy one to answer truthfully.

'I went to the Netherworld, but they came here, too. You don't remember it because the Ancient's powers washed your minds clean.' Yeah, I wasn't ever going to have that conversation, even with my long time friend, Nilla, who I'd been in school with, well, since we started going to school.

Maybe I would've felt better if she hadn't gone into an almost seizure. Maybe it would've been easier if Tomo wasn't on my left and Lee wasn't on my right. Then, I'd only have to fend off one of them at a time. Lee and Tomo had effectively tag-teamed me with questions.

Where had I gone? Well, I told them Europe, with my dad, whom I never saw anyway more than once a year. I sat in a hotel while he photographed wildlife, which was relatively close to what happened in Japan, except I never sat anywhere for long. I also happened to go camping, which was the only thing I'd ever done with my dad as any type of bonding.

"What are we doing?" Cye asked.

Cye stood over me, his brows knitted in concern. I smirked up at him, standing up as he offered me the lunch Mia packed. "Having fun? What did she talk to you about?"

"I'm supposed to tutor people in English because I've lived in London and never gone to school in Japan before," Cye finished his tirade with a pitiable frown. Yeah, that was so terrible. At least no one was snooping in his business.

"I went to Europe," I said over cheerfully, flashing Cye a huge, fake smile. He raised his eyebrows, letting all he needed to say flow through his sympathetic green eyes. Yes, Cye thought that was a terrible lie, too.

"Mia said I could buy a can of juice," Cye started completely on a new conversation track as my old friends came over. It felt awkward, calling them old, because at the end of last school year, they were the only friends I'd ever known. Maybe I had the super power to over look huge flaws, like Lee's ego, but they didn't usually bother me, until now.

"Yeah, we can buy juice," I answered Cye, letting my several seconds of thoughts brush away. "You guys want any?"

"Sure," Lee gave me some money. "Something with cranberries."

"Orange," Tomo gave me money for Akio and himself. Akio stood up, the slightly nervous and nauseous look he usually wore plastered on his face.

"I'm going to see Nilla and Lily," Akio's quiet voice squeaked as he nodded in his own consent. He briskly strode out of the room, anxious to find the two ladies, and busily rushing on in his never-ending nervous pace.

"He needs medication," Tomo sighed, shaking his head. "The boy's not right in the head some days, I'll tell you what. Everything upsets that basket case."

"Basket case is a good word for it," Cye muttered as we walked out towards the machines to buy juice. "So, what did you tell them?"

Cye's voice had changed to a lower note, whispering not to be heard just in case I said something concerning Ronin business. "I told them I went to Europe, with my father who forgot he had a kid and is busy taking pictures of animals and probably a few of scantily clad women," I let the last part seethe out in a whisper so only Cye could hear.

"I see. I didn't think you spoke very good English," Cye said naively. I just gave him a slow, sideways stare.

"Exactly. That's the point. I don't speak very good English, and I don't go any where or have anything to do with my asshole of a father." Again, I lowered my voice, not wanting to be overheard. Cye bit his lower lip, obviously thinking about something. By that time, we'd reached the machine and were already paying for the five juices.

"Good day," Seiji came up behind me in the line. He looked relatively calm, but I guess I must have looked like an angry hornet. "Not looking forward to this year?"

"Well," I sighed. "I went to Europe over the summer. My friends want pictures."

"Ask Cye," Seiji said as he put in his money. "He'll get you photos of England and the entire continent, and we'll edit them on the computer. Right, Cye?"

"Nice idea," I sighed, realizing I hadn't thought of that option. Apparently, neither had Cye, who gave me a sheepish shrug and smile. "Way to use your brain, Cye."

"I'm not the one running around and making up stupid stories about how awesome my vacation was," Cye let his voice hit a false sugary sweet note. I scowled, not in the mood for lectures. Seiji shook his head, not in the mood for my attitude, either, apparently.

"How's your day?" I asked him very sarcastically. "I bet it's been peachy with an entire fan club and everything."

"I've got an interesting seat partner," Seiji replied politely, ignoring my edgy mood. I tried the sarcasm to hopefully make him have any type of fit. Rowen successfully got under Seiji's skin on an almost daily basis.

"Really? Is she gorgeous and drooling on your arm?" I let the line fall, watching Seiji clear his expressions. Yes, this was the first step of perturbing Seiji. He always tried to calm down before anything else happened.

"I'm not going to debate you or express any interest in conversation while you're in this irritated mood," Seiji replied stiffly. He sent me a long, controlled, sideways stare, signaling the end of this little effort of mine to release my frustration on him. I'd tried imprinting my mood on others for relief. When I was happy, I did it sometimes, but when no one else shared my frustration, I felt the need to make sure they knew exactly how I felt.

"Want to come eat lunch with us?" Cye peeped up, asking Seiji bashfully. "If both of you can get over your trauma, I'm sure lunch might be okay. The food isn't out to ruin your life, too."

"Some days I wonder."

The sarcastic little comment came from Tomo, who'd appeared right behind us. He'd tapped Cye on the shoulder, seceding in startling him. Seiji turned around, also slightly startled. I began to laugh, just enjoying watching Cye jump up like someone had jabbed his butt. Seiji grinned, biting his lower lip, trying to stop smirking, too.

"You're out to ruin my life," Cye mumbled, his lips pursed up, not enjoying the shock of being jumped in mid-conversation.

"Naw, it's good natured fun. I do it to Lily a lot. She screams, which is much better," Tomo chuckled as he recalled the many times he'd scared Lily. I handed him his drink, along with Akio's drink, too. All of us walked back into the room, where Seiji, Cye, and I pulled up chairs to eat where Lee and Tomo sat already.

"Who's this?" Lee's tone came off a bit harsh as he eyed up Seiji. Seiji smiled politely, as always, giving him a bow, then extended his hand. Lee looked disgusted and shocked at Seiji's courtesy, considering how he'd just greeted him.

"I'm Date Seiji. Pleased to meet you . . ." Seiji let the comment hang as he waited for Lee's response. Lee finally took his hand and shook it briskly.

"Tabiki Lee," Lee barked out the words, loathing them like he'd just had to eat soap. "Pleasure to meet you, too."

"Take your cranberry apple and shut it," Tomo snapped at us, but he still kept a grin on his face. "There are no girls here to compete for, Lee, so cool your balls off."

Cye turned away, biting his lower lip not to laugh. I began to chuckle, shooting Lee a look of pure serves-you-right mirth. Lee looked shocked, like Tomo had just dumped a bucket of water on him. He looked between Seiji, Tomo, and myself, then resigned himself to quietly eating.

"Akua Tomo. My brother is running around being a girl," Tomo lightly made the joke to Seiji as he ate some rice with sushi. "He's all so concerned about Nilla. She's been old enough to take care of herself, Lily, and occasionally one or all of us since junior high."

"Really?" Seiji asked courteously. He was excellent at pretending to be engaged in what Tomo was saying, even though he had no idea who Nilla was. Cye kept eating his food, looking up and listening to what Tomo was saying about Lily and Nilla. Lee was quietly sulking, and spoke up as the conversation died out.

"So, did you know Ryo went to Europe?" Lee launched that damned question.

"Yeah, won't even show us pictures," Tomo grumbled, giving me a miserable look like a dog that couldn't get its bone. I inhaled deeply as Seiji gave me a warning glance not to blow my temper.

"I'll get them soon," I replied shortly. Then, people started getting up around us. It was time to clean our room. Seiji stood up, bowing to Lee and Tomo before leaving. Then, the four of us joined in the clean up effort.

"Where to next?" Cye asked me as we put away the broom and dustpan. I pulled out my schedule, feeling slightly relieved.

"I'm going to orchestra with Nilla, Lily, and Akio. I don't know where you're going, though. What arts class did you sign up for?" I questioned Cye, slightly disappointed he wasn't going with me, but also glad Lee and Tomo weren't, either.

"It says calligraphy," Cye replied, giving me a questioning stare as to what to expect. I chuckled, watching Cye's slightly optimistic smile fade.

"Calligraphy is boring. Have a great time!" I replied over-enthusiastically, giving Cye a huge thumps up. His usually lively eyes had a flat look in them. "There are some girls in it, though, so you could have fun."

"Thanks," Cye let out a deep breath with the word. I winked at him, and he rolled his eyes, shouldering his bag as he walked away from me through the halls. I joined a group of students, heading towards the music wing. I entered the fake wooden double doors that led to the spacious locker room. There were three rows of beige lockers, with signs reading strings, brass, and woodwinds above their own isles. The percussion was stored down the hallway in a separate room.

"Nice to see you."

"Nilla. Glad you're okay," I told her as I spun around, startled to see her again. I thought they might have sent her home. She smiled, and she looked normal again since her heart shaped face regained all its warm colors after her incident.

"Yeah, I wasn't feeling too bad," Nilla's voice trailed off. She looked away, thinking about something else. I waited, searching her distant gaze, trying to fathom whatever she wasn't telling me. I sensed it had something to do with today.

"Nilla, what's wrong? Something bothered you," I put a hand on her shoulder, calling her back to reality. Her almond eyes, soft yet filled with a quiet fear, met my eyes. She tried to smile, but knew she couldn't convince me anything wasn't wrong. She then brushed my hand off her shoulder.

"It was stupid, Ryo. So, where have you been?" Nilla turned down the string row. She took out of a large, tan, leather case a beautiful mahogany cello. She began to rosin the strings, getting ready to play.

"Europe," I replied blandly. "I was with my father."

"What?" Nilla stopped everything she was doing with preparing her cello. Her discerning glare pierced my eyes. Now she was the one to sense that she was being told a lie. She opened her mouth, wanting to say what I wasn't telling her. For several long, intense seconds, I swore she knew about Talpa and the armors. I opened my mouth, about to tell her everything.

"Ryo!"

I spun around, watching Rowen meander back the row towards me. "Someone said you'd signed up for this class. I didn't know you had a musical bone I your body."

"I don't," I retorted, crossing my arms as Rowen took his time ambling back the isle. Somehow, Rowen still managed to look like a punk, yet a nerd, at the same time. The hair definitely set him apart, which was the epitome of Rowen's totally unique personality. He was a sarcastic brat, but a sarcastic brat who knew when he'd gone too far or not far enough.

"What do you play?" I laid the question out mockingly. "Did you sign up to play triangle?"

"I'm the piano player," Rowen said as he grinned smugly. I felt my jaw fall, and I replayed that information several times in my head.

"Wow, you must be a good musician, or didn't you know we have auditions for the piano?" Nilla's voice cut in from behind me. I turned towards her so I could introduce her. However, I found Nilla with a look of bewilderment on her face as she studied Rowen, all six feet of him.

"Rowen, Xailong Nilla. Nilla, Hashiba Rowen," I introduced them each in turn. Nilla nodded dumbly, unable to bow because she held her cello. However, she did snap out of her fetish long enough to shake Rowen's hand.

"I'm going to go see about those auditions, then," Rowen said shortly. He turned, skirting his way quickly out of the locker room. Immediately after he left, Nilla let out a little squeal.

"Ryo, do you know him?" Nilla gasped as she stared off into space at the locker room door.

"Yeah," I replied hesitantly.

"Ryo, he's so . . .different, yet, handsome, and he's a good musician," Nilla breathed out the words as she talked to whatever dreams floated in the air. I sighed, in total unbelief that she was smitten with Rowen of all people.

"Do you think he's your type?" I asked her gently.

"What? How do you know my type?" Nilla lashed out as she spun around. Her voice hit a new, harsh tone, and then, she too, briskly walked out of the locker room. Well, as briskly as you can with a cello. I sighed, wandering over to my locker in the brass row. I pulled out my trombone, oiled up the valves, and walked out of the locker room, too.

HEY! This is MorganRay, back in action with a new email address after the three-month absence. Now here's the revised Han'a High chapter. I decided to introduce some characters, like Bahkura, Kaede, and Sean earlier. I also changed a name or two, like N'deki. Also, I've tried to fill out some other characters that play (will play) major parts like Lily and Nilla. Nilla's character went through some serious changes, and I gave her a bit more of an attitude, too. Nakeisha is another character I introduced early, but mostly the same as before. However, I tried to fill out the characters of Lee, Tomo, and Akio a bit more. I felt they, early on, at least, didn't have enough personality. Give me tips, please.

Thanks, I'll read your stories soon, too, MorganRay


	4. The Truth About Nilla

**The Truth about Nilla**

**(Nilla)**

"Nilla-chan!" Lily squealed from behind me as she cut through the crowd. Most of the people on the elbow-room-only sidewalk were school children. They were sometimes younger, sometimes older, talking about their own special day. Then, the business people were threading their way through the sea of youth on their way home from their own respectful jobs.

"Lily-chan," I sighed as Lily caught up to me. She was panting and sweating, and the sweat dripped down her acne free face. I was envious of her clear skin, even though I didn't have a lot of problems with pimples myself. Still, those little things caught my attention and drew a sigh from me.

"You're going really fast," she replied grumpily. "Do you want to go any where? I brought money for the café."

"I just wanted to get out of their today," I muttered as we turned onto a side street where my house was located. Lily lived in an apartment down the road, but my parents owned a Western style house, which was courtesy of my mom's whining.

"I was enjoying him, too," Lily pouted as we approached my door. I pulled out my keys, unlocking the white door for Lily. The inside of the house was cool, and we each slipped off our low-heeled shoes and put on a pair of slippers. Lily had her own little pink pair at my house since she visited so often, and I was currently wearing a pair of forest green slippers.

"Who? Cye? Really?" I answered rhetorically.

"Yes! Who else?" Lily shouted, clapping her hands. I giggled, unable to control myself after her little moment of obviousness. I loved her pure emotion, though. Most people thought about things too much and didn't trust anyone. I was a bit of a cynic myself, and Lily and I worked as each other's yin and yang.

"I met an odd, but handsome, man. He's got talent," I told Lily as I leaned against the refrigerator, remembering how well Rowen played the piano. It was beautiful and so melodic the way his long fingers ran over the keys. Ryo's jaw practically fell to the floor because he played so well, and it never occured to me that Ryo had friends besides the five of us. I never remembered Ryo really talking to other people, but then again, Ryo was always a private person. After years of knowing him, I really didn't know him as well as I knew Akio, Tomo, Lee, and Lily.

"Ek! It's our lucky day! New boys and everything, well, sort of lucky," Lily hesitated. She bit her lip, looking over at me, the look of a frazzled hummingbird on her face. She'd flitted around the room while I was resting until she was told to go back to class. Then, she got so worked up that she actually got sick herself, but while I was just faint, she threw up numerous times.

"You and Akio were quite a pair," I smirked, making Lily blush. "He came in, saw you sitting over the bucket, and almost threw up himself."

"Well, you just passed out! It's not like I was feeling well to begin with, either. I was sick, too, and you being sick just put me over. I wasn't eating lunch, anyway," Lily squeaked, sitting down at the table. I poured each of us a glass of water and grabbed some fresh fruit to eat.

"It was weird," I mused to myself. I wasn't sure if I felt comfortable telling Lily what I'd really seen. It sure as hell wasn't a snake.

"You scared me so badly," Lily whimpered as she took a drink. She lowered the cup, her concerned, baby blue eyes not gleaming with joy or excitement but with uneasiness. I felt myself break down, knowing I could never keep anything from someone so sincere.

"I saw a . . . vision? Maybe I hallucinated?" I asked the questions more to myself than Lily. She listened though, leaning forward to hear me better.

"I won't tell. I promise I won't. You know I'll keep it a secret. You've done the same for me," Lily whispered hoarsely, almost afraid of what I was about to tell her. I stared over at her, nodding slightly. I took a deep breath, counted to ten, and began to recite what I hardly believed was real.

"I looked away and saw a man. He . . . looked odd and terrifying, in a way, because he had shiny, almost greasy, green hair. His eyes, gods Lily, his eyes were almost yellow, like a snake's eyes. They were so intense," I ended hoarsely, taking a drink of water. Lily was trembling slightly, but focused on whatever I was saying.

"He looked away, as if deciding on something for a while. Then, he nodded, and his head turned. He looked . . .and his face filled with hatred so vile and bitter . . .Then, I couldn't look away. He . . . he looked at me," I whispered. "I felt . . .violated, like an electric jot had just been shot through me."

"Nilla," Lily whispered as she jumped up to hug me. She did so, wrapping her thin, pale arms around me. "It wasn't real. I wasn't real. It can't be real."

**(Ryo)**

"What a day," Cye smirked at me as we left the classroom. We were planning to meet up with the rest of the guys out side of school and head back to the manor. The hallways were jammed with chattering people, and I detested their endless babble about how happy their days were.

"Hey! Guys!" Kento shouted at us as he pushed his way through the throng of people. "I didn't see you all day!"

"No, you didn't," I added sarcastically. Kento helped propel us outside the metal doors into the brilliant sunlight. I blinked, unaccustomed to the light for a second. I felt slightly angry at the sun for being so happy, too.

"Let's go!" Seiji grabbed Cye's wrist while dragging Rowen behind him. Rowen was about to have a fit of hysterics, but was trying to suppress them. I gave him a questioning look, but he only bit his lower lip to keep from laughing.

"What's your hurry?" Kento asked, sounding confused. However, Seiji remained doggedly determined to get us on the bus. After stuffing us on the bus, Seiji got on last, taking a seat next to me.

"What was that one about?" I asked, not too happy about the little panic to get on the bus. "I've been pushed around and cramped up all day. This better be good."

"This rather busty girl, who has a boyfriend, decided to try and make-out with Seiji right outside the school building," Rowen spoke before Seiji could get a word out. Reclining in the bus seat, Rowen grinned from ear to ear.

"Thanks," Seiji said flatly. "I appreciate all you do for my life."

"You should. I'm valuable," Rowen laughed as he closed his eyes to catch a few minutes of relaxation before he had to do anything.

"I thought Japanese schools were supposed to be really strict," Cye asked hesitantly. "Are you allowed to do that?"

"No, but people do anyway, but only the really hot whores," Kento replied in all seriousness. Seiji rubbed his eyes with his hands. Cye gave Kento a slow, sideways look. I personally thought it was true because I'd definitely seen one too many make-out scenes. A couple had been on school grounds, and Lee had been involved once. I smirked when I thought of that time. Most people were a little bit more discreet, though.

"Public, Kento, do you know what that word means?" Seiji asked tersely. "Learn it, please, because that's where we are with you."

"Hey, it's the truth. I felt like saying it," Kento replied with a shrug. I shook my head, enjoying the Kento antics for the day. I'd missed the no-nonsense Kento today.

"So, how was everyone else's day?" Cye chirped in over enthusiastically, trying to prevent a Seiji and Kento fight, which was a bit too common. "I personally had a nice day in Japan."

"Oh, yeah, it was school, or else it would've been better," Kento grumbled. "I hate school, and the worst is I have to take an art class, but I make sure to take one with all my buds."

"I don't have a class with you," I told Kento. He shrugged to show it was obvious that he could do nothing about it.

"I'm in calligraphy with Cye," Seiji replied, looking between Kento and me. "What did you take?"

"Sculpting," Kento laughed. Cye bit his bottom lip trying not to go into a fit of the giggles. I chuckled, thinking about Kento trying to sculpt a lump of clay into well, anything.

"Ryo and I are in orchestra," Rowen butted into the conversation. He leaned forward, an amused look playing in his eyes. I stared daggers at him, hoping he wouldn't bring up my anti-musical abilities any more.

"Really? I didn't know either of you had any talent," Kento poked the joke at us. However, Rowen let a teasing grin spread over his face as he met my eyes. I mentally groaned, knowing what was coming.

"It applies to Ryo and his amazing abilities on the trombone," Rowen sighed, trying to be dramatically serious, but that damned smirk was still spread across his face. I thought about tackling him in the driveway to wipe it off, but, no, that wouldn't work. I felt slightly too tired to physically fight Rowen, and there was an unwritten rule that we weren't supposed to fight each other. Although, you know, minor incidents had happened.

"Trombone," Kento nodded, trying not to laugh. "And what do you play?"

"Guitar, electric and acoustic, and piano," Rowen responded promptly. "I don't know why you didn't bring your trombone home today, though, because you need the practice."

"Will you lay off?" I snapped at Rowen. He still smirked, but sat back in his seat, that taunting look still lingering in his eyes. I pursed my lips together, turning away from Rowen, not in the mood for his badgering. Between Tomo, Lee, and what happened to Nilla eating at my mind, I didn't need Rowen's irritating show of superiority. It didn't help that he was a damn good musician, too.

"This is our stop," Seiji spoke up as he stood to get off the bus. I grabbed my mail bag and walked off behind him. When we'd all gotten off at the familiar dusty gravel driveway hidden in the middle of a luscious wood, I realized how much I'd actually missed the manor today.

"Sure better than any school," Kento said with a sigh. "Let's go eat. I'm thinking Twinkies and milk."

"You mean cookies?" Cye asked as we ambled up the driveway, enjoying the soft breeze scented with spring flowers.

"No, Twinkies. They're much better than cookies," Kento argued. The sun didn't seem quite so mockingly happy, now, and everything felt more relaxed and normal. Some one was arguing about something stupid, the rest of us were relaxing, and something amusing was always right around the corner.

"Do you dip your Twinkies in milk? That's just gross if you do," Cye began to debate Kento. I waited until Rowen caught up with Seiji and me. He was kicking stones up the driveway, trying to kick the same one until he'd lost it.

"Yeah, sometimes, and why is it gross?"

"Wouldn't they get soggy and fall apart? Then, you'd have pieces of Twinkie floating in your milk, and you wouldn't be able to drink it," Cye pointed out. I bit my lip, wanting to laugh at how ridiculous this was getting, but enjoying it too much to break their heated debate.

"You just drink it. It's not like they're backwash or anything," Kento defended his side, and I began to chuckle, but tried not to let them hear me.

"Okay, let's talk about something constructive," Seiji spoke up, turning around to hopefully shut up Cye and Kento. "I've heard all I need to hear. It's killing my brain."

"I'm hungry!" Kento moaned as we approached a bend in the long drive. On the one side of the bend there was a drop off, which shot straight down about fifty feet of bare rock until it met the tops of several bushes that grew below. It was a beautiful view, and you could see most of Tokyo from here.

"Yeah, it's been more than five minutes," Rowen said. Kento picked up a rock and tossed it at his head. Rowen moved to dodge it, but grabbed one of his own and pegged Kento in the arm.

"Rowen, do you know how to edit pictures?" Seiji asked. My lips went in a straight line as I knew where this was going. I looked menacingly at Seiji, hoping he wouldn't bring up that topic now. I didn't need to hear how lame my story was from Kento and Rowen, who I'd heard enough banter from today.

"Why?" Rowen asked as he stood in front of Seiji, using him as a shield while he pitched another rock at Kento. Kento has taken refuge behind Cye, who'd raised his hands in front of his face.

"I am not your shield!" Seiji yelped at Rowen as Kento pegged him square in the neck. Cye also got hit, and both Rowen and Kento picked up more stones. Seiji ran to the other side of me, using me as a barrier. "It's because Ryo needs to manipulate Cye's pictures."

"Why? If there's manipulating to be done . . ." Rowen asked as he ducked Kento's throws. He then threw a couple more stones, but they all hit Cye, who then ran over beside Seiji. He rubbed his left arm, where Rowen's last throws had given him welts.

"Because Ryo said he went to Europe," Seiji replied calmly, as if nothing what so ever was happening. This time, when Rowen threw, the stones each pegged Kento's arms and legs. Kento also hit Rowen, but fewer times.

"Yes!" Kento shouted, running towards the house. We'd finally managed to trudge our way towards the manor, which appeared around another bend in the driveway. It was nestled between several tall, scenic oaks, which were planted mostly in the back of the house, and surrounded by the Ajuga flowers, their orchard colored blossoms nodding in the sun, which Mia had planted.

Around the large, circular driveway area in front of the house were about a dozen Japanese maples, with their maroon leaves, casting a thick shade. The purple violets mostly bloomed around the front of the house, near the maples, but here and there bushes grew between the flowers, all covered with buds of their own. Mia told me the bushes were mostly spiraea with pink flowers. With their thin trunks, Kousa Dogwoods were intermingled throughout the yard and forest surrounding the house. Their tiny, four petal flowers, clustered thickly on the branches, made it look as if a fresh snow had just fallen on the tree.

It had a picturesque look to it, like maybe it was the secret get away for some millionaire, not the "boarding house" of five teenage boys.

"Got you!" Rowen shouted as he nailed Kento with a whole handful of stones as he barreled towards the house. Kento stumbled as he got pegged in the back of the legs.

"Serves you right," Cye laughed as Seiji pulled the house key out of his bag. He was the only one Mia really trusted to keep tabs on us, so he got the keys.

"What were you saying about pictures and Europe?" Rowen asked as Seiji unlocked the cream door that led into the kitchen. Little brick stones going through the plush grass led you to this side door, which we usually used.

"Ryo said he went to Europe with his dad," Seiji filled in as he stepped into the house, closely followed by Kento. The kitchen was spacious and cool, and there was an arch in the wall leading to the sitting room, where we had our TV, boom box, and playstation.

"That's a really bad story," Kento added as he opened the refrigerator. I felt irritated, being told that by Kento.

"What did you come up with?" I asked as I crossed my arms.

"I told my friends I'd gone to China, visited relatives, and visited an old castle," Kento said as he poured himself some milk. Rowen took the milk off him, pouring himself a glass, too.

"I think Kento's story is better. Come on, Ryo, I know you hate your dad," Rowen added casually. "Did people actually believe it?"

"Will you shut up?" I felt myself become warm, considering there were no lights on in the kitchen and a breeze still coming in the window Seiji had just opened.

"I'm saying you're a pathetic liar. Hey, I didn't have to deal with that problem, though," Rowen's off-handed comment made me snap. I threw down my mail bag, and then picked up Rowen's books and threw them across the room.

"What's that for?" Rowen shouted back at me. Good, I'd gotten his attention. I bit my lower lip, staring him down. "If you start throwing my books, I'm kicking your butt."

"Is this all over pictures?" Cye quipped, coming between us. I kept my eyes on Rowen, ready to react to whatever little stunt he might pull and getting ready to move into action, if needed.

"Rowen's an ass, that's what it's over," I spat. Rowen scowled, keeping his eyes on me, but I knew he was thinking. "He didn't have any friends to lie to because he never had any friends before us."

"I think _that_ is enough," Seiji raised his voice above mine. I glanced over at Seiji, which is when Rowen lunged after his books. Cye was between us, and so was Kento, who was chomping on Twinkies.

"Fine," I shouted, just to be louder than Seiji. I turned, grabbed my bag, and stomped up to my room. I had my own room, which was great, because I didn't have to open the door again tonight. I threw my bag on the floor and stood rooted in the middle of the room before I felt total exhaustion take me.

I slumped up against the wall, putting my head on my knees. Confusion was something I feared. I wasn't confused about a lot of things. I knew, whether my emotions or my mind told me, what I had to do. That's why I was Wildfire. I could do what needed done.

But now, when I'd stepped out of the armor, I thought I'd still know what to do. But I didn't. Or did I? I knew I had to be loyal, but to whom? I couldn't forget the way Lee loathed Seiji, or I couldn't ignore how irritated I'd become today. I felt the feeling of a shadow at my back, and I turned around to look, but there was nothing.

Both groups irritated me. I couldn't turn to Lee or Tomo, but I couldn't go downstairs with the guys. I groaned, threw off my clothes, and climbed into bed. I just needed to sleep it off, yeah, that was it.

A/N: July 2007: This chapter has new dialogue in it, as well as lengthening this piece of the story. Also, I decided to add other perspectives. I hope you like the description of the manor, I took some time on that. Be getting back to you soon, MorganRay


	5. A Relation

**A Relation**

**(Ryo)**

The siren blasted in my ear. I groaned, feeling stiff and wanting another several hours of sleep. I turned over, groping for the snooze button on my alarm clock. I found it and slammed my palm down so it would stop that damned buzzing and beeping.

I stared at the ceiling because I was awake enough to not bother sleeping. I staggered out of bed, a heavy feeling in my limps. I stumbled to the mahogany draw and pulled out underwear and an undershirt. I grabbed a pair of socks, too, and then took out the second uniform outfit from the closet before making my way to the bathroom.

I tripped as I opened my door, not seeing the little package in front of it. I picked it up, examining the photo album. "Stop your whining" was the sticky note on the front in Rowen's handwriting. I smirked and put the book inside my room to come back and get it later. I quickly bathed, hearing other voices in the house.

"It's way too early," Kento mumbled as I met him on the way to the bathroom. "Why the are we doing this again? Couldn't we just have gotten paid for saving the world and not go to school?"

"Yeah, I wish," I sighed. I dressed quickly, taking enough time on my hair to just run some gel through it and comb it. I grabbed the photo album, tore off the note, and walked down the curving stair case with the railing that overlooked the spacious den with it's high vaulted ceiling and sky lights. Then, it curved, and I walked down past cream colored walls into the kitchen.

"Well, are we waking up finally?" Seiji asked, looking perturbed that we hadn't been up before the sun rose with him. Cye sat at the table, waiting patiently for everyone else to get ready and eat the blessed cinnamon oatmeal he'd made us.

"Cye's my favorite Ronin," I said as I began to inhale the oatmeal. I hadn't eaten last night, I realized, and Cye's special, creamy, supper cinnamon oatmeal was good any day of the week.

"I'm hurt," Seiji replied sarcastically. Just then, Kento and Rowen came ambling down the stairs. If possible, both of them looked more exhausted than I was. Kento plopped down, without a word, and began to inhale his oatmeal, too. Rowen slid groggily into his seat and did the same.

"Good morning to you, too," Cye laughed, managing to be the only one pleasantly awake. Seiji didn't count because he was standing at the door, anxious to get leaving. He'd peer out the window, watching down the driveway, as if he could see the bus.

"Any more of this?" Kento finished first and pleaded with Cye. Cye smirked, but just shook his head. Kento groaned, going the cupboard to grab a couple snack bars to eat on the way down to the bus stop.

"We have to leave," Seiji added again. I put my bowl in the sink, grabbed the photo album and stuffed it in my bag. Seiji stood at the door, making sure we were all outside before he locked the house up. A mist hung in the air, not completely burned off by the barely risen sun. Shafts of the sun's light tried to pierce the fog, but they seemed to have gotten trapped inside it. They hung their, solid strips of light trapped in the mist.

"I think we should start sleeping," Seiji lectured as we briskly walked in the cool fog. "I mean, before two in the morning, Rowen."

"Okay, I wasn't up until two," Kento objected with a yawn.

"You were up at midnight watching TV with me," Rowen added as he began to go through his morning stash of food. Kento muttered something unintelligible.

"See," Seiji said, as if his point had already been proven. "We need to sleep, guys. Really, it's okay when there's no school, do whatever you want, but now, I don't really want to be late."

"It's okay to leave me behind," Kento grumbled. "I don't do anything, anyhow."

"And Mia would kill me, so no, because we're all, as in all five of us, are supposed to go to school," Seiji finished talking. I looked out over the cliff as the fog covered Tokyo. Only the top of the buildings stuck out from the dense mist that descended during the night.

"How do you think today's going to go?" Cye asked from my right. I blinked, not realizing he'd fallen back to talk to me instead of staying up with Seiji.

"I hope Nilla doesn't do anything again," I groaned, remembering the fiasco yesterday. I also hoped this picture album would help the others lay off. I had some kind of proof, even if it was false.

"What did Nilla do?" Rowen asked, also having fallen back to talk with us. I rubbed my temples, not believing how exhausted I was this morning. Was I just not paying attention?

"She fell off her chair," I explained to Rowen. He snorted.

"What was that supposed to mean?" I gave him an edgy reply.

"She's that red head that was hitting on me yesterday, going 'oh Rowen, you're a great musician,' right?" Rowen asked me. I nodded, and Rowen chuckled. "I can see her falling over."

"Nilla is very bright, don't make fun of her," I felt offended at Rowen's little comment. He shrugged off my response, though, just shaking his head.

"How intelligent can she be, Ryo, if she was fawning over me like that?" Rowen's insult left me feeling a little bitter.

"I've been friends with Nilla a lot longer than you've even known her. She's a very smart girl, Rowen, so don't make fun of her because she likes you," I snapped slightly at him. Rowen looked questioningly at me, as if he wasn't quite sure I knew what I was saying.

"You mean Xailong Nilla?" Kento jumped in the conversation, now partly awake.

"Yeah, I'm in her room and in orchestra with her," I clarified. "You have problems with her, too?"

"I know enough about her that I don't want to get any closer to her," Kento said with a cringe. I wondered exactly what he'd heard, but I had an idea from Nilla, Lee, Tomo, and Lily telling me that other girl's definitely did have problems with Nilla because she was so competitive. I was guessing her protectiveness of Lily had gotten her a less than desirable reputation, too.

"She acts more like your girlfriend than anything, though," Rowen commented offhandedly.

"She's not your girlfriend, is she?" Kento gaped, wide-eyed, at me.

"We went on one date, last year," I sighed. Kento practically fell over when I said that, and Cye had to give him a shove to remind him to walk. "It was one date, and we came to a conclusion, after three-hours of no chemistry, one week silence, and a miserable ratting from Lee and Lily, that we're really _not_ meant for each other. Friends should not always date friends."

"Thank God, I don't know what I would've done besides knock some sense into you," Kento muttered and sighed with relief. I opened my mouth to laugh, then realized Kento really would've, literally, knocked sense into me.

"You don't even know her, any of you," I said, throwing up my hands. "She's a nice girl, really, she is."

"I'll take your word as long as she doesn't decide she wants to go out with me," Seiji added as we reached the bus stop. Just as we walked up, the bus pulled around the bend. Seiji shot us a disdainful look before he boarded the bus. The rest of us followed, and I sat beside Rowen, who slumped down in the set to nap beside the window.

(N'deki)

I felt the steam rise up from the ground in front of me. Where was I? I moved closer to the heat, the terrible sulfur fumes coming into my nose. No! Why was I walking closer? I moved, against my will, my feet hard and steady, as if not my own.

I was close, and I could feel the heat almost rip through me. I wanted to scream, but I felt my lips twitch upwards in a grin. I tried to thrash about, but I was on the verge of a fiery precipice. My head bent forward to lean in . . . and I pulled back.

The cool air stung my skin as I opened my eyes in my dark room. I shivered, realizing all my blankets were off, and my tiny body was drenched in sweat. For a few minutes, I lay shivering and paralyzed. Then, I stood up, my gray pajama shorts and T-shirt sticking to my body. I was glad I could still stand, even if I stood on shaking legs. I gasped, inhaling the fresh air coming in my open window.

"Is this punishment?" I whispered to the thin air, hoping for an answer. It was an eerie dream, one of those dreams that's all too real. I usually woke up, terrified, from dreams like that because I fought them, trying to pull out of the pseudo reality. And that reality that I just saw was one I did not want to live.

Was this punishment? Was I being punished for something I didn't know about? Maybe, I thought darkly, I was being punished for my lies and secrets I'd never told my dad. Now, he was dead, and he never knew how many things I'd really kept from him. I wasn't a bad girl. I didn't smoke, drink, or do dirty things with guys, but my conscious was guilty because of all those little things I kept locked away.

I walked quietly, like a shadow, over to my closet. I opened the door, going to the right corner and pulled up a floorboard. I grabbed the books of stupid little spells I'd stashed there, and then, I took out a couple boxes. I grabbed the wilting flower on the windowsill.

I looked at the pathetic little marigold plant, hoping it would heal if I performed the miniscule spell correctly. It hadn't responded to water or to my replanting, and I felt like it might die soon. I opened the shoe box, which happened to be the smallest I could find. I pulled out the coarse, leather string with the brown plastic ball dangling from it. 'The most affective magical devices are made using natural elements and the blood of the magician,' one of my books stated. That's how I'd made this one, out of a couple drops of my blood, dirt from Wisteria Park, and a cup of water to mash them all together before I'd stuffed them into a cheap, plastic ball.

I placed the ball in my hands, and then I cupped my shaking fingers around the steam of the plant. I made sure the ball touched the steam, too. I inhaled, knowing that my little magic tinkering usually made me relax and sleep in peace.

"As sun is golden, and earth is fair, flowers will flourish both here and there," I whispered my own little spell, which was truly pathetic, but it helped me focus. I felt my body grow warm, and I felt the flush fill my checks. My hands felt numb, like I had lay on my arms and lost circulation in them. Then, all those sensations left, and I withdrew my hands from the plant.

My head felt light, and happy, and I drifted away from the horror of the dream and reality. I felt my guilt slip away for a minute as the soft, cool breeze touched my checks. My hair blew in front of my face, and then, I stared out across an azure lake.

It looked like glass reflecting a Renaissance artist's masterpiece. Yes, that's how the sky looked in the twilight, revealing the hidden colors of rose, orange, mango, and the brightest, richest golden colors known to the eye.

I stared down into the sand, twirling my fingers in the soft, tan dust. It was fresh, the earth was clean, and the birds chirped their evening songs to the departing sun. I stared up, knowing I had to go on down the beach. I was looking for someone.

A soft jingling reached my ears. I opened my eyes to real, but less beautiful sunlight. It filtered through my blinds, a soft, egg yoke color, in my open window. The wind chimes jangled, but I thought, for a second, that the noise had only been in my dream.

I stretched, realizing I'd fallen asleep on the floor, and now, I was stiff and cold, but the coolness felt good. I moaned, realizing I'd woken up fifteen minutes too early. I sighed, making myself sit upright from the awkward sprawling position.

Then, my foot bumped into the floor pot. I looked over, my little charm lying beside the ceramic pot. However, I noticed the plant seemed to be glowing in the morning sun, the same bright gold as the sunset in my dream. I stared dumbly at it because I just expected it to perk up, but this time, it really grew, about two inches. The blossom spread, full and beautiful, across new, spring green leaves.

"Oh," was all I managed to say as I gingerly picked up the pot, placing it back on the windowsill. I backed up, still transfixed with the flower, afraid that it was an illusion. No, it wasn't. I gasped, but snapped out of my dazed state as my alarm clock buzzed. I shut it off quickly, deciding that I needed a refreshing, non-magical shower after that night.

I walked silently down the small, beige carpeted hallway. Mi Sang had left for her job by now, and I was alone. I opened the door to the bathroom, throwing off my gray pajamas and cotton underwear. I stepped into the freezing water I'd turned on and began rinsing my hair in as the water warmed to a comfortable temperature.

_'I'm not pretty, dad_,' I remembered one of the last times I'd talked to my dad. We'd been sitting and chatting while playing chess inside the house only days before he died.

'_You're not heavy or ugly_,' my father winked at me. '_I'd definitely go out with you_.'

'_Daddy, what would Mi Sang think_?' I smirked, whipping his bishop off the board. '_Check mate._'

'_Well, you're certainly smart enough to beat your old man_,' my father laughed. I looked up, watching his compassionate gray eyes look at me. I smiled broadly and was absolutely relieved we were together, just father and daughter.

'_You're special, and other people will know it someday, too_,' he told me, now taking on a serious, parental role. I'd always remember my dad that way, when he thought I was the most special person in the world.

I blinked the hot tears out of my eyes and let them mix with the rest of the warm water. He was the one parent I'd ever called by a parental name. My maternal mother had been Kathleen to me, and nothing else but a shallow, scheming shrew. Mi Sang, well, I loved her, but she'd just always be a friend.

Why hadn't I told him about my magic? I didn't know of a good excuse, now. There were no good excuses for the things you didn't say when someone died. Why hadn't I introduced him to Ryo? My dad would've liked Ryo, too. It didn't matter that I'd actually never found the courage to say two words to my crush, let along ask him over or go on a date with him.

I turned off the water, not feeling oh so wonderful now, and the beautiful calm of the sunset was barely a happy memory. I sighed, wiping my face with a towel, and then, I wrapped a towel around my body and my hair as I walked back to my room.

I dressed, and then, and only then, did I remember to grab all the tapes I needed to listen to so I could help people study Japanese. I'd lived in two cultures, so I was a perfect candidate, since I could speak fluent English and Japanese. Ten years in America and six in Japan had prepared me for this year's horrendous job of teaching the worst of the worst Japanese speaking foreign exchange students.

(Kento)

"Lunch is my favorite class," I told Sean as the last teacher before the sacred meal walked out of the room. I immediately whipped out my little lunch box and the pair of chopsticks inside. I decided to devour the rice first and start on the sushi and veggies next.

"If you choke, again, I'm going to hit you, really hard, in the stomach," Sean added as he began to eat, too. He wrinkled his nose at the sushi Bahkura began to eat. "How do you eat that stuff?"

"Sorry not all of us pack bread with peanut butter," Bahkura pretended to gag. Even to me, it sounded like a meager lunch. I smirked, finishing the rice and deciding sushi looked delicious.

"You know . . . I have to say . . . this could be a record for the fasted I've seen you eat," Sean commented between bites. I didn't bother to look up, suddenly excited for setting a new personal best at school, at least. I stuffed in another glob of sushi, excited to hit the veggies next.

"Eat! Eat! Eat!" Sean chanted as I inhaled more food. Yes! I was done with the sushi. I moved on to the veggies, and Bahkura looked up at me in wonder. I glimpsed the two of them looking at me intensely like they were watching the end of a nose-to-nose race.

"And I win!" I shouted as I swallowed the last bite of veggies. I looked expectantly at Sean, who checked his watch.

"Holy crap! Two minutes and forty-two seconds, and Kento is the champion!" Sean screamed as we gave each other high fives. Bahkura gave a deep, base yell as he pumped his fist in the air.

"This is what I missed," the sultry female voice interrupted our victory shouts. I spun my head around, mid victory scream, and stared right at Kaede's thin stomach. She laughed, as all three of us looked stupidly at her, standing there, hands on her hips.

"I missed you, baby," Sean chuckled as Kaede grinned at all of us playfully. However, my attention flitted across the room to another figure, standing at the door, smirking as he observed me. I felt my jaw drop, looking between the two of them as Kaede motioned Rowen over to us.

"Boys, I made a friend in the smart classes," Kaede insulted us with her teasing voice. "This is Hashiba Rowen."

"Nice to meet ya," Sean greeted Rowen enthusiastically, jutting his hand across the table. Rowen took it slowly, as if overcome by Sean's hyperactivity. Bahkura eyed Rowen up as he shook hands with Sean, and then, Bahkura, without a word and now his calm and silent self, took a bow and then extended his gorilla like hand to Rowen.

"This is Hokib Bahkura, Sean Johnson, and Faun Rei Kento," Kaede introduced us each to Rowen by pointing a finger at us in turn. She frowned slightly at me, wondering why I didn't shake Rowen's hand or bow, too. Her eyes looked like polished cherry wood floors after being waxed, durable and beautiful.

"This one's rude," Rowen suppressed a smirk as he shoved his thumb in my direction. I pursed my lips together as my brow wrinkled from his little comment. I knew him, so I definitely didn't need to shake his hand.

"I think you're an ass, so we're even," I retorted. Before I could move, Kaede smacked me upside the face. Bahkura and Sean started to chuckle at Kaede's little show of anger, but Rowen went into out and out hysterics. He leaned over, clutching his side, as if the rocks hadn't been enough yesterday.

"What's with you? I knew you had no manners, Kento, but seriously," Kaede spat as she pulled up a chair for herself and Rowen, who was still struggling to breathe. She glanced at Rowen, not sure of what to think of his sudden fit. "I'm glad you enjoyed the slap."

"More . . . than . . . you'll know," Rowen gasped like a fish out of water as he sat down beside Kaede. He got control of his fit of girly giggles, and then, looked up at me. He bit his lower lip and turned away to go into another bout of gut busting laughs.

"You know, man, you're a moron," I added in a flat voice. Just like him, picking on me all the time because I wasn't smart and took the longest to catch onto his little sarcastic games. But, just as I'd spoken, Kaede whacked me again.

"Will you stop that! The little tird wants you to do it!" I shouted and pointed at Rowen, who was leaning over to the ground, tears in his eyes from laughter. He literally fell when Kaede slapped me again.

"Stop! He knows me! That's why he's being, well, like Rowen," I screeched out my exasperated plea. I stood up, pulling Rowen off the ground. He stopped laughing as I lifted him back into his chair by his collar.

"Is that right?" Kaede asked, her jaw dropping. She actually looked embarrassed, which for her was very rare. I'd seen her stare down the best of them and tell boldfaced lies, without a flinch, to the richest and hottest guys in Tokyo. She was caught in Rowen's little practical joke.

"Yeah, he's right," Rowen said normally with a dazed look in his eyes. He wiped the last tear away as Kaede's hand slammed across his face. It was my turn to chuckle, although I made sure to bend my head down and put my hand over my face to hide my giggles.

"What? You two think that was funny? Well, at least I got a couple good slaps out of it," she seethed, looking between us as she opened her lunch box. She ate, bite after bite going in with intention to not slap someone again. All four of us watched her, well, I watched her the entire time, trying to predict the next slap. However, the other guys finished their lunches, too, until, after ten minutes, she'd finished eating and put her lunch box away.

"You four can talk now," Kaede said, the satisfaction of having us all silent in her voice. She folded one leg over another and leaned back against the chair. "So, boys, how do you know each other oh so well?"

"We're at the same boarding school," Rowen injected the answer before I could open my mouth. Well, that was good because I probably would've said something stupid, anyway.

"I didn't know Kento had enough brains to stay in any place more special than his house," Sean chuckled as he looked over at me. "How'd you do it?"

"I got connections," I answered proudly, deciding it was true. Rowen tipped his chair back on two legs and rocked a little bit as he sat there, staring casually at us. I hated that stare, always so calm and confident, but oh well, there was nothing I could do, anyhow. I'd tried wiping that look off his face before, but it hadn't worked then, either.

"Let's clean our lunch space," Kaede suggested. She stood and put away her chair, and everyone else followed. Soon, we had our area cleaned up, and we migrated over to a corner to talk. Bahkura, Rowen, and I leaned against the wall, while Sean slouched against a windowsill. Kaede stood in front of us all so she could talk to everyone better.

"We should do something, you know, the five of us," Kaede suggested after everyone had gotten situated in a comfortable leaning position.

"Like what?" Bahkura asked, and truthfully, I didn't have any idea what she had in mind, either.

"Well, like going to a dance club," Kaede added. "Karaoke isn't so great when you three show up."

"You sang something in public?" Rowen asked me as he remained lounging against the wall.

"Sean's the worst," Kaede interjected, giving me a playful smile. "Kento's bad, but I personally made sure Sean never saw the microphone again."

"Hey, I'm not that bad," Sean grumbled from the window. "Not everyone sings like a diva, Kaede, 'cause not everyone wants to be. I was havin' a good time."

"So was I, until you two got up on stage," Kaede sighed, shaking her head. She turned to Rowen and put on her puppy dog pouting face. "See what I have to put up with?"

"See what we have to put up with?" I told Rowen as I mimicked her face. Kaede gave me a gentle punch on my upper arm. I rubbed it, pretending it hurt to make her happy. Rowen rolled his eyes, probably deciding we were all dumb.

Then, the room became alive as everyone began to clean and the people that had left returned because class was going to start. Rowen stood up, and he and Kaede began to walk towards the door.

"Nice seeing you boys again," she chirped as the three of us followed them to the door. We had about five minutes, still, but no one wanted to be late around here.

"Like the gaggle of misfits?" Kaede asked Rowen as they walked outside the door, but still within hearing distance.

"Yeah, except for that rude Kento," Rowen smirked as he looked over at me. I stuck my tongue out and did I rude gesture by sticking my middle finger in my open mouth. Rowen chuckled as he and Kaede headed towards their room.

(Zera)

"Flight Thirty Six has now landed at Tokyo International Airport," the monotone voice said over the loudspeaker.

I listened to the English, Russian, and Japanese announcements. I grabbed my nap sack and unbuckled when the little sign flashed. I stood up, grasping the realization this might be the last time I heard Russian for a while.

Good riddance, I thought as I straightened up, ready to leave Russia. Good riddance to my brothers and control freak father. The more distance carved between the three of them and myself, the better. I'd never been more determined to leave any where than my own home.

I checked my bags out, going down to the terminal gates. I stood there, looking around, listening to the people talk very quickly. They prattled on in Japanese, and I didn't understand a lot of what they said. I looked away, glancing myself in the glass panes of the airport.

My dark, thick brunette hair hung down below my shoulders in loose waves. I was around six feet and two inches, and for a girl, I was a giant. I'd thrown on a blue, long sleaved, shearblouse, which I hated, but I wore it anyway, with a white spaghetti strap top under it. I liked my gray blue jeans and refused to wear anything but my slate blue converse shoes.

Little wonder I hardly had been spoken to since I'd boarded the airplane. I ignored the strange glances all the people gave me, deciding I liked myself well enough that they didn't need to like me. I smirked slightly, keeping an eye out for my ride. Where did I really want to go?

Then, I saw the battered, brown Volkswagen drive up. I grabbed my bags, walking towards it. I opened the trunk as the driver yelled out, "Zera Kolav?"

"Yes," I replied with one of the words I knew in Japanese. I threw my bags in the trunk, hopping in the front seat with the driver. He glanced nervously at me, but started the car. However, he kept his peripheral vision on me. I smirked, wondering what he was so afraid I'd do.

The man dropped me off at the front of a dumpy looking brick building. Other buildings, not well kept, but in better shape, over shadowed it. Like the black sheep in the herd, this building huddled beneath the rest. I grabbed my bags, indignant at the man's rudeness, but expectant of it.

I walked through the door, not bothering to knock. I looked around the empty lobby, and walked up towards the battered desk that was the reject from some corporate office.

"Name?" The man at the desk asked. His age said he'd been here too long. His eyes said he was sick of dealing with foreign brats. However, his Japanese was fluent.

"Zera Kolav."

"Room two twelve," the man answered as he pointed at the stairs. I walked towards them, climbing them slowly and deliberately. I came to the second level, looking deftly around at the worn, molding wood. A rank smell permeated this floor, and I heard soft noises from each of the rooms.

I carried my suitcase to the end of the hall, to room two twelve. I had one other room beside mine, two thirteen. On the other side of my room there was the bathroom, which was good because that meant I didn't have to walk far during the night. I didn't hear noise from inside two thirteen, though. Maybe it was empty, and that would be good since these walls were paper thin. I turned the rusting, worn brass knob, walking into the room.

One scummy window let no light into the little room. I could feel the dusty, damp air trapped in this place rush at me. I coughed, realizing I'd have house cleaning to do before I slept.

"Lady of War . . ."

"What?" I gasped, and I turned, hearing the soft voice chant, and I couldn't tell if it was a male or female that spoke. I looked around, unable to see who'd said that to me. "Who's there?" I asked loudly in English, but suddenly realized I'd heard that in Russian. I went outside again and banged on two thirteen, but there was no answer. I opened the door, but there was no one in that room. So, I went back to my room again.

"Answer me," I repeated in Russian. I walked forward, tripping over a rickety table. I grabbed something, realizing it was a lamp. I flicked on the switch, and the little bubble cast a dim twenty watts into the room. I gasped, seeing a huge spider web in the corner.

I turned around, going to find the bathroom. I did so, grabbing sprays and whole rolls of paper towels. I marched back, killing the huge spider and its children. Then, I began to dust and clean the room. I went back, found more cleaners, and went mechanically to work.

It was like home, I mused. I'd cleaned my own living quarters and my family's as well. At least I didn't have to clean up and care for my brothers and father. Is this why I left? Not really, but it was an added bonus. I was a smart girl, and I could get better schooling out of the country. I won a scholarship, so I was able to leave. It was a blessing to leave home.

I paused, looking around at the room, realizing I still wasn't happy with its condition. Did I come here for this? I stopped, pondering where going to another country had gotten me. Well, I'd hopefully get a better, more interesting education in the sciences here. That's the reason I'd kept telling myself because the change was so difficult.

I sighed, taking comfort in the fact that at least I was alone. At least none of my family was around to bother me. My father, fixed in the economic slump after communism, however quiet he was about it, still hated his life. He'd always hated it, from what I'd gathered. Communism or not, his life always was wretched. I was his wretched bitch, accidentally born of some woman he'd slept with one night.

I cleared my head as I rubbed my temples. I needed to go to sleep. I didn't have a resident family yet to spend the year with, though, and I hoped I'd get one, just in case they wanted me back home.

July 2007

I've blended two stories, so that's going to take a while, but it's actually easier to write. Thanks to everyone who has been reading (if you've sent a review, have me on your favorite something-or-other list, or if you've sent an e-mail, ect, extra thanks to you. Not listing names this late at night, but I'll write up a little list of people who've given me helpful reviews in a chapter or two.) I added more with Zera, and you should definately go and check out the quote at the beginning of part one.


	6. Uneasiness

Uneasiness 

(Cye)

"Oh, I'm so glad I get to finally eat with everyone," Lily sighed as the last teacher left the room. Nilla took her seat, turning it around to face Ryo, Tomo, and Lee. Lily and I did the same, and Akio joined us. Ryo pulled up an extra chair as he grabbed his lunch. I was glad today had been relatively uneventful. I'd sat there, gone through the morning, and had my ear talked off by Lily. She was appreciative to have Nilla back, but because Nilla was okay, she kept talking to me. I was told about her mom, dad, sister, and the entirety of her extended family.

"Who's that for?" Nilla asked, and I remember she hadn't seen Seiji yet.

"For my friend, Date Seiji," Ryo explained. I looked up, waiting for Seiji to enter the room. Soon, he did appear in the doorway, a vision of gelled hair and perfect coordination. When the light struck his hair, ironically, it did appear like a golden halo around his fair skin.

"This is Date Seiji," Ryo introduced him to Nilla, Lily, and Akio. Seiji bowed politely before taking his seat. However, both Nilla and Akio stood and returned the bow, apparently not lacking in the polite department, either. Lily quickly stood up and did her own little bow, too.

"I'm Xailong Nilla," Nilla did her own introductions. Then, she gestured to Lily. "This is Jukuto Lily and Akua Akio."

"You're twins," Seiji commented about Akio and Tomo. Akio nodded cordially, but Tomo just snorted at the comment. I'd honestly never seen the two together except when they stood by each other in the morning to talk with everyone. Well, Tomo talked, at least.

"By blood, not action," Nilla added her own side note. Tomo nodded quickly in approval. Seiji took his seat and began to eat with the rest of us.

"I think we need a game of volley ball," Lee blurted out. Lily squealed in excitement and into my left ear. "There's still an even number. Ryo, Nilla, and I can totally still whip your butts."

"Really? I remember several times when I jumped higher than you to spike that ball," Tomo challenged Lee. Lee put his chopsticks and lunch away, as did Tomo.

"Let's go," Lee commanded as he stood up, ready to go to the gym. I stared at them, not ready to leave my lunch. I was kind of hungry, and I didn't want to get involved in their little rivalry. However, Lee and Tomo apparently had rallied their own respective teams because Lily, Nilla, Akio, and Ryo also put their lunches away to play.

"What about us?" I asked timidly, looking across at Seiji, who sat stiffly on his chair, as if debating whether to follow or stay.

"Cye can play on our team!" Lily squealed. She grabbed my arm, as did Tomo, hosting me to my feet. Seiji almost laughed before he realized he'd be on the other team.

"That means you're with us," Lee sounded slightly bitter about that arrangement, but he grabbed Seiji's arm, trying to dislodge him from his seat. However, Seiji grabbed the desk with his other hand, not wanting to be moved.

"Why don't Cye and I stay here? We're not part of this tradition," Seiji tried to amend the situation, not wanting to be recruited like me, now standing beside Lily, who had a painful grip on my arm.

"Oh, you are now," Ryo grinned, grabbing Seiji's other arm. "It's fun, I promise. We skip lunch once and a while and play a friendly game."

"If you insist," Seiji replied, not having a choice in the matter anymore, either. Lee and Ryo had hoisted him to his feet, while Nilla already proceeded out the door. We walked through the halls, hearing students in their rooms laughing while they ate. Then, we reached the main gym, where the _tyourei _was held in the morning. However, now there were four volleyball nets set up, and only two were being used. Nilla grabbed a ball and tested it out.

"We'll take this side," Nilla walked to the side by the wall, and Lily drug me to the other side.

"Okay, I want front," Tomo instructed us on how to set up our team. "Lily, I want you and Akio in the back again. Cye, will you be able to spike this thing? They're either going to put Ryo or Seiji in the front, which will be better because I'll only have to worry about Lee this time."

"What do you mean?" I asked, realizing I'd have to play net.

"I mean that Ryo and Lee would play net last year, and I'd be the only one up there because Lily and Akio are both better in the back," Tomo sounded irritated, filling me in on the little set up. I sighed, nodding in assent to playing in the front. I'd rather play somewhere else, but I guess if I needed to, I could jump and spike.

"You'll do awesome!" Lily squealed as she wrapped her arms around me in an all-encompassing hug. My cheeks flushed, and I heard a snicker from Tomo. When she let go, I kept my head bent, and found my position right in front of Ryo.

"Ready to be schooled?" he joked as Nilla served the ball. However, Lily hit it, setting up Tomo to spike it over, where Nilla promptly dove and sent it back up in the air for Lee to spike down on Tomo. It landed on our side, and Lee promptly gave Nilla a high five.

"That was beautiful!" Lee shouted, pumped up to win now. I fidgeted, hoping not to have to do much. Then, Nilla served the ball again. The white sphere was sent back across with a loud thwack as Akio hit it.

"Set me!" Ryo yelled as Nilla hit the ball again. Ryo jumped up, smacking the ball down on our side, right over my head.

"Nice!" Lee hollered again as he gave Ryo and Nilla a high five. I realized that these three had perfected this little system. Akio rolled the ball back over to Nilla, who served it high, hard, and arching back to Lily, whom sent it sailing over, right to Seiji, who bumped it up in the air to be hit over.

"Mine!" Lee screamed as he smacked it over Tomo's head. However, Akio dove and hit it, sending it up, and I smacked it over. Ryo jumped, spiking it over my head again.

"Three serving zero," Nilla called the score as she served again. She gave another perfect serve, and Akio returned this one over to Seiji. Seiji hit it, sending it over, and Akio ran to set it up for Tomo. Tomo jumped, giving it a powerful blow to the back between Seiji and Nilla, and neither of them got it.

"Finally," Tomo sighed as Nilla rolled the ball back over.

"You need to call that," Lee lectured the back row. "Only Nilla used to play the back, so you need to coordinate with her, Seiji."

"Not your team, coach," Ryo grabbed Lee's arm, pulling him back up front. "It's a game. We're doing fine."

However, I noticed Seiji's lips purse, and he just looked at Lee, not happy at all how he'd been addressed. However, Nilla walked over, whispering something in his ear, which made Seiji laugh. Then, Lily served the ball over the net, but her serve wasn't as powerful as Nilla's serve.

Nilla ran forward, hitting the ball up. "Mine!" Lee shouted as he ran over to smack the white orb over the net, right at me. I knelt down, hitting it back up in the air, where Tomo rushed in to slam it in Ryo's face. However, Ryo hit the ball back, and Tomo took my net position, slamming it back over behind Ryo, where it hit the ground.

"You should have ran for that," Lee snapped at Seiji again. Seiji just raised an eyebrow, and I knew Lee was pushing his luck right now with Seiji and Ryo, who gave him a fiery look. I didn't think Lee really wanted to press his luck with both of them, and I could see problems coming from this, but I kept my mouth shut.

"I think this game is over, while we're one up," Nilla demanded, stretching her arms. Good, what a smart girl. She turned, walked off the court, followed by Seiji and Ryo. I quickly walked after them, followed by Lily and Akio, leaving Lee and Tomo wondering what just happened.

(Ryo)

"You didn't practice your trombone?" Nilla scolded me out side of the orchestra room. "I suggest you start warming up, _now_." I saluted Nilla and began to unpack my trombone. "Ryo, I called your grandparents, but you weren't home. She said you'd moved?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm living in . . . a boarding home for guys." I pulled out the little story we'd come up with.

'_I think you five should stay here_,' Mia brought the fact up just days after we'd defeated Talpa.

'_Parties every night!_' was the general reaction from Kento and me. Mia hadn't liked that one too much.

'_No, I'm checking up on you, and I know the other three can behave remotely well_,' Mia replied crossly, but then, her natural big sister instincts kicked back into gear. '_I want the five of you to be together because I think you deserve it. I think you need to be together because you were brought here for a reason.'_

'_How are we going to pass this off?_' Seiji stated. '_My family will be hard to convince_.'

'_Prestigious boarding home for guys only_,' Rowen suggested. _'My dad will buy that one_.' Rowen nodded, a huge smirk coming across his face. '_Just make up an official something or other, and I'll take care of the signature part. My dad is too wrapped up in his work to realize I'm in the house, anyway.'_

I'd sat silent after that remark, feeling sympathy for Rowen. '_Yeah, my folks should be okay_,' Kento shrugged. '_As long as you include it costs absolutely nothing. Cye's stayed with us, so I'll bug 'em a little and say he's coming, too_.'

'_I'll send a letter and whatever paper to my mum_,' Cye replied. '_Mia, if you wrote something, too, I think that would help_.'

'_And I'll do the same. Thanks, Mia_,' was basically the only thing serious I'd said. Getting my father to sign and get the paper work done took a while because I had to track him down, but it went through. I had my grandparents meet Mia, since I stayed with them quite often, and they liked her a lot, and she passed for a lot older than she really was.

"A boarding home? Oh, wow, I didn't know," Nilla replied, turning to face me. I snapped out of my revelry. "Who lives there?"

"Ryo," I looked up at Rowen, who had mysteriously come floating out of the crowded hallway. "Nilla."

"Well, for one, Rowen," I added to Nilla as Rowen approached to talk to us.

"Really?" Nilla looked incredulously between us. Her jaw dropped slightly, and I saw a faint flush on her face. I bit my lip, catching Rowen's eyes. He remained calm, and mouthed 'what were you talking about?'

"Oh, well, I just told Nilla we were staying at a boarding home," I said offhandedly, and took in a large breath afterwards. Rowen frowned a little bit, mostly because Nilla still looked dumbfounded, staring between us, trying to connect the coincidence.

"So," Rowen broke the slightly awkward silence. "I'm going to go grab my music. I made that audition, Ryo."

"Wow, aren't we amazing," I replied to Rowen's taunt sarcastically.

"You better start that warm-up," Nilla chided me as she turned to Rowen. "Never practiced his trombone all summer. If I was like that with my cello . . . " Nilla shuddered. "I'd be, well, as bad as Ryo, the undisputed standard of terrible for brass players."

"Heard that," I gave my trombone a blow through three notes. Rowen busted out laughing in the middle of the hallway. I rolled my eyes, trying to play a scale with Rowen's incessant laughter getting stronger.

"Go get that music," I ordered before I started another scale.

"We're not all that bad," Nilla was laughing a little. She stared at Rowen shamelessly the entire time, as if trying to get to the spot where she could tell him she wanted to go out on a date. "The rest of us are really not that terrible."

"Well," Rowen sighed, smirking at me. He turned, sauntering into the doorway. I gazed daggers at the arrogant brat. We'd have a lot of fun tonight, when I taunted him about Nilla, but then, I'd get the full story told about how beautiful my musical talents were from the entire house.

"Do you think you could hook me up?" Nilla blurted out as soon as Rowen was out of earshot. She spun around on me, causing me to start, almost dropping my trombone.

"Well . . . Rowen's not much for getting set up by friends, but you look like you're . . . um . . . growing on him," I grabbed the words out of the air, but I could sense his awkwardness. I smiled pathetically at Nilla just as everyone began to assemble in the room. I followed the crowd, glad to get out of that awkward situation.

I stared at the music, realizing I sucked worse than ever. Orchestra turned into drudgery as we played the music. I struggled over each note, knowing several hard days of playing might get me up to my poor standard of last year.

"Nice practice," I muttered as the class ended. I hauled my trombone and book bag filled homework out into the hallway, ready to go back to my room for the rest of the day.

(Cye)

I walked back into the room after calligraphy. Lily sauntered up towards me, an innocent smile on her face. She smiled at me as she walked right up towards me, her hands clasped in front of her, passing me a note she wrote. Then, surprisingly, without a word, she walked away. I scanned it, pulling out the parts about me being cute and wanting to go on a date.

I felt my face flush as I began to write back. I'd never been forward with the ladies in England, and now, I already had a date! What would we talk about all evening? The reason I never dated was because I could never fill my gap of the conversation. Well, with Lily, would there be a gap in conversation? I had the feeling that she could cover the talking part just fine.

I spaced off, remembering painfully real experiences with girls even when we weren't on dates. Little Becky in third grade had the cutest little ponytails. I fell on top of her and spilt applesauce on her. I had such a crush on her, too.

Alice in sixth grade, driving me crazy with her smiles, and I went and tripped down a flight of stares, knocking into her. I flinched at that one. I broke her wrist when I landed.

And then, the fateful time, at the end of eight grade, when I finally asked someone out. Jennie Willets, tall, blond, and everything I thought I wanted. I slipped her a note during lunch, and she spit the milk out her nose.

"Hello?" Lily whispered to me. "Where is _my_ note?"

"Yes," I quickly passed the note back, not wanting to say anything, muttering silent prayers not to fall or spill anything on her.

(Ryo)

"See everyone later!" I called to Lee, Tomo, Akio, Nilla, and Lily as they headed to their own houses or to catch a bus. Cye walked with me a I hauled my trombone across the sidewalk until we found our own bus. I climbed inside, adjusting it in the seat beside me, while Cye plopped down behind me.

Cye sat there, quietly fidgeting in his seat. I looked up as the other three guys got on the bus. They all looked in decent moods, thankfully, and each wore a relaxed smile. Kento sat with Cye, while Rowen and Seiji sat across from me.

"So," Kento began. "Everyone else have a better day than me?"

"I got a date," Cye mumbled. I jumped up, almost out of my seat. Seiji and Rowen exchanged wide-eyed glances. I felt my jaw drop, wondering how I missed this.

"You are _not_ going out!" Kento let out a yell. He looked dumbfounded, like the rest of us. "Who?"

"Jukuto Lily," Cye muttered as he cast me an embarrassed, slightly apologetic look. I stared, unable to believe my ears. Lily? Well, I'd seen her flirting like a twittering bird, but I didn't think she's jump on him that quickly.

"She knew you a grand total of _two_ _days_! I've been here _years_! There's something _wrong_ with this picture!" Kento hollered, causing Seiji to give him a disapproving frown. "I haven't been asked out by _anyone_!"

"She asked _me_," Cye quipped in defense. "It's not like I forced myself on her! Ask Ryo! She's _his_ friend, too!"

"RYO!" Kento pleaded with me, turning his bewildered face to me. "Tell me Cye forced himself on some babe."

"No, um, Kento, Lily was all over him," I fumbled out the words. I couldn't, for the life of me, imagine Cye forcing himself on girls. "You didn't want to go out with her, did you, Kento? When did she do this, Cye?"

"Right before you came back from orchestra. She passed me a note before Nilla got back. She told me she thought I was cute and wanted to meet me for dinner and a movie or something Friday night. I said yes."

"So, you didn't force yourself on her?" Kento tried desperately to win. "And, no, Ryo, Lily was not the date I had in mind."

"I told you Cye didn't force her, knowing Lily," I replied. Lily butted her way into conversations and into guy's lives, but I didn't think she'd taken to Cye this quickly. It was still hard to grasp, like trying to get my arms around a huge, invisible boulder.

"Ha," Cye pointed at Kento. "I told you! Anyway, I have a date this weekend."

"Wouldn't want to go," I mumbled. "She talks ears off."

"Cye has a date!" Kento grumbled, unable to get over the incident. "He's been here _two_ days! She asked _him_ out."

"Yeah, Kento, it's okay because I think you need to know something else very important. Ryo here is going to serenade us with his trombone tonight," Rowen replied with mock importance as he changed the subject. I glared daggers at him, but Rowen only smiled coolly, ignoring anything threatening from me.

"Yeah, I know something interesting, too," I sulked, until I remembered something worth saying. "Rowen here is falling for my friend Nilla, so you two can go double dating this weekend because Nilla and Lily are best friends."

"Really?" Rowen asked as he raised an eyebrow. "I did not have the faintest idea I was falling for her."

"Yeah, well, she's falling all over you," I stated the fact Rowen must have noticed. "She wants to date _you_, buddy, this weekend, too."

"I don't do hook ups," Rowen added, a distinct frown coming over his face.

"Yeah, I told her that, but she likes you," I sighed, adding a helpless little shrug.

"And . . . what am I supposed to do about that? I'm not just going to ask any girl out, even if she's a long time bud or something," Rowen said defensively, and he slumped back in the seat and stretched out his long limbs. "I don't like dates. They make me nervous, and girls, wow, the girls I asked out turned out to be airheads."

"His idea of steady is lasting more than one day," Seiji added. "The all-time longest Rowen relationship: _three_ days."

"No kidding," Kento added. "Wow, all these girls dig you, and you've only gone out for a grand total of three days?"

"Yeah," Rowen added blandly and shrugged. "Mostly awkward silences, or me talking over their heads. Girls make it difficult. They're all taken away with '_true_ _love'_ after you've know them a couple days, or they just want some really kinky sex."

"See, that's just how Nilla feels, except with guys and sex," I said as I heard the opportunity. "So, just ask her over . . . to play the cello. You're musical, or so you've proclaimed yourself."

"Yeah, I play the electrical guitar, the base guitar, and the piano," Rowen became defensive, but then, thoughtful. He sat there for a moment, pondering the possibilities, or whatever he thought about in his head. "Okay, will she not be, well, slutty or act stupid once we're alone?"

"Nilla, nope, there's not a chance," I reassured him.

"Nilla's head is solid, Rowen," Cye added in his little testimony. I nodded as Kento and Seiji watched, actually wanting to see if I'd convinced Rowen.

"Cello would be interesting in duets. You know . . . I'll think about that, but as long as _none_ of _you_ four are in a four-hundred feet radius."

A/N: July 2007: MorganRay here, in the middle of summer, finished with this re-done bit. This is mostly copy-add-and-paste from previous chapters. This stuff coming up will be familiar, but with add-ons. Thanks for all the help, and I've added more ACCURATE information on Ryo's current parent status. Please send any grammar mistakes/sentence errors/improvements you see fit. I realized how short that Cye bit was, but I couldn't make it any longer. Also, I wasn't really happy with the Zera internal monologue. It's really hard to introduce her character.


	7. Plans for Friday Night

**Plans for Friday Night**

(Rowen)

I moaned as I drug myself down to the orchestra room, and I kept my eyes transfixed on my black shoes. They were shinier than I would have gotten them, but that was only because Kento had repaid me for some homework. I had put off asking Nilla out for a total of two days, hoping she'd have plans for Friday. Well, I wasn't actually asking her out, but asking her over to my place, since I technically wasn't going anywhere, but she was going somewhere. Was that asking her out? What the hell, it was the same idea.

Nilla had her cello out in the hallway, and when I walked up, she was rossening her bow. "Hi," I said as I tried to look casual, and I leaned against the wall, hoping that was the right impression. As I tried to look more relaxed than I felt, I let my eyes wander over to her instrument, which was the most interesting part about her as of yet. The cello was polished nicely and over all a very beautiful instrument, and she was a skilled player, too. "You have a nice cello." Wow, that was a pretty sad intro for 'let's go out.'

"Yeah?" Nilla said as she beamed a smile over at me. Ryo hadn't come out of the instrument locker room yet. "Well, it's sort of a family heirloom. It was my mother's, but I take care of it. I brought my good one today for chair auditions. Usually, I just use the cheaper one that's mine."

"Oh," I didn't know what to think of her cello history. I didn't think there were such things as cheap cellos, either. "I actually play the electric guitar, too, besides the piano."

"Really?" Nilla's said as her eyes lit up. "I wasn't terribly great at the piano. I've always wanted to play the guitar because I figure it's another stringed instrument."

"Really?" That word was becoming repetitive. I had to get this over with before Ryo showed up. "Well, maybe you could come over tonight, if you have no plans, and we could play duets or something." I almost smacked myself for that terrible line, but I was relieved that was done. I forced myself to look up and meet Nilla's eyes, and I felt a slightly sinking feeling looking into them.

"Sure," Nilla said, ignoring any awkwardness I'd shown. "I'd love it. What time?"

"Seven thirty," I replied, deciding it would give the guys some time to bail out of the house. "Not any earlier, though, okay? Better if you were late." Nilla shrugged as Ryo walked out of the locker room, trombone in hand. I smirked at the memory of three nights of terrible brass music. Man, the four of us got cheep laughs out of Ryo's lack of talent.

"Ready for orchestra?" I laughed. "I can't wait to hear you."

"Who says you will?" Ryo retorted.

"You're all the wrong notes," I smirked as I sauntered into the room. Everyone had begun to warm up, and I put the music on piano.

I lounged on the bench, thinking what I was going to do during my little psudo date with Nilla. I didn't think it was a date. I hardly knew her, which made me nervous, but Cye was actually going out with someone he barely knew, too. Before I knew it, I had spaced out, and we were starting to play.

I snapped awake, finding my place in the music. It wasn't particularly interesting music that we were practicing today. It was my least favorite piece, mostly because it was boring, so I put myself on partial auto-pilot and just let my fingers go, not too concerned about missing notes.

After we'd ended, I waited for Ryo outside the locker room as Nilla came up to me, for a quick, "Bye, see you tonight!" I sighed. Great, this brought back memories of bad experiences without the lame catch line of come over to my house and play music.

"Well?" Ryo asked. "Did you ask her, finally?"

"Yeah, and it was the lamest thing I've ever said. She's coming over tonight to play duets with me." Ryo snorted. "Shut up, okay? You forced me into this, and I went along and music is why, so that's what we're doing. I want you, Kento, and Seiji out of the house, too."

"That's a hefty request. I don't know if Kento and Seiji will like it," Ryo said as he grinned up at me.

Later that day . . .

(Rowen)

We scrambled onto the bus, and I sat beside Ryo, who threw his trombone in the window seat beside Seiji. Kento and Cye sat across from us, and Cye looked slightly nervous already. Oh good, Cye could become anxious about something else besides going to a new school. Some how, I didn't think dating was going to be good on his nerves.

"Hey, it's the weekend," Cye laughed giddily. "Looks like we got through the first week at Han'A High."

"Yeah," Ryo sighed. "Say what you will. Looks like we're out of the house tonight, though."

"I've reserved the manor," I stated calmly. "At seven, you leave. All four of you."

"I thought you were kidding about that," Kento grumbled as he stretched out in the seat. "Man, why don't you want us hanging around while you're trying to suck face with Nilla?"

"We're playing music, not sucking face, at least that's what I've planned." Seiji laughed from behind me. "What?"

"She'll put the move on you, like before," Seiji replied. Damn, he knew my history of women too well. I groaned, remembering the feelings of being pressured to do stupid things, from holding hands to having sex, which I'd denied that particular girl. It ended in me backing down away from her, and then, the break up came shortly after her misstep.

"That's the main reason none of you are staying around," I grumbled. "No one, hear me? Don't come back for three hours, until ten-thirty."

"Fine," Kento sighed. "But I think we would have enhanced the situation. Cye, looks like we'll be tagging along with you and Lily then."

"No," Cye said with a jolt. He threw a crumpled piece of paper at Kento. "You three go entertain yourselves tonight, or you should have found dates yourselves."

Laughing, I slouched back into the seat, relaxing my mind a little and staring out the window into the world, letting the images flow into my brain as we sped along to the manor.

"Is it cool if I make dinner?" Cye asked politely. "Unless Rowen would like to impress Nilla with his cooking skills."

"No, just make me some stuff to give her, and I'll call it mine," I replied and grinned at Cye, who just shook his head, knowing my cooking sucked.

"Seriously, Rowen, art of baking might have helped you," Ryo joked, giving me a punch in the arm. "You could have stayed awake in home economics, too."

The bus stopped, and we ambled up the driveway. However, we didn't stop to goof around like we usually did. I led the pack up to the house, impatiently waiting for Seiji to fish out the keys from his bag.

I walked straight up to my room to search out my guitars. Seiji and I shared a room, but my stuff took priority over Seiji's neatly organized possessions. The only thing we shared in common was the library we acquired between us, which was stashed on shelves, piled in crates, and in stacks of books shoved in the closet. I opened the closet, walked to the back, and fetched out my electric and base. I wasn't great at base, but I had a couple brush-up hours. I took them both down stairs and went back up for my stacks of music, some of which I wrote, and my amps.

"Man, that's enough crap to start a band!" Kento blurted out. I set them all down in the living room and nodded. "You never told me you were the rock god."

"I'm a piano god, too," I told Kento absentmindedly as I pulled out of the piano bench and all my books. I flipped through a couple of my favorites. Nilla might know some of these on cello, since I loved all the classical music on piano, and classical had inspired some of my composed guitar pieces.

"Man," Kento grumbled. "I'm lucky if I can keep a beat with a stick and a trashcan. Definitely know who owns all the musical talent in this house, now. Can you do everything?"

I ignored most of Kento's comments as I raised up my electric guitar and played a simple scale. I then did the same with the base. At least I hadn't dumped off all memory of how to play three instruments while I fought over break.

"Come and eat something. I'm not cooking until tomorrow morning," Cye chirped from the kitchen. I followed Kento obediently into the kitchen where Cye had made us each a meatball hoagie. I raised an eyebrow.

"Man, pre-heatable meatballs, canned sauce, and store bought bread with melted pre-graded cheese," I mumbled. "Cye really outdid himself this time."

"Shut it," Cye snapped, but it was partially nerves, I thought. Well, he still managed to tell us to shut up good-naturedly before he began to eat. "I'm going to be getting ready for a date, and you three need to find out somewhere to go because you're not going any where near me."

"We're going to the arcade," Kento said between bites.

"No, we're going bowling with my friends," Ryo argued back.

"Not so much," Seiji interjected. "Thinking a calmer place, calmer people."

"Let's get girls," Kento sighed. "Any place with the women."

"Yeah, we are the three bachelor guys. Seiji can be the bait and . . . "

"No, Ryo, that's _not_ how we're doing this. We'll go to a movie or something, maybe the arcade if Kento insists . . . "

"And Kento and I will rope them in for the night," Ryo ended the thought. Ryo and Kento did a high-five over the table. "You don't pick up chicks at the arcade."

"The arcade is staring to be a _good_ idea, _and_ even bowling in those smoky buildings is starting to sound grand," Seiji muttered. I grinned and began to chuckle, while Cye just shock his head in amusement.

"I think we've got the better deal," I laughed.

"No, I think I'd rather be out cruising for girls or just hanging out than going out with either of them," Ryo said seriously.

"You've known them way too long," I retorted. I shrugged off the comment. "I'm going upstairs to get ready for Nilla. Cye . . . "

"No, clean up the place yourself for once, I'm going up stairs to shower and change," Cye replied as he left the table, ascending the stairs, me at his heals, mumbling, "Hey, you wanted the house!"

**The Lair of the Lady of Darkness:**

(Third Person. Sorry for the confusion. It's the same place as chapter one of the prologue)

Deep, ember filled eyes stared at the little red head girl as she stared ahead, completely happy and unaware of her stalker. She walked calmly towards her house with her little blabbering friend. Little did the Nilla girl know that she was being watched with eyes that smoldered with hatred for her.

"She sees things," the little blood angelic girl said in her sweet voice as she walked quietly beside the tall, dark lady. Her sparkling blue eyes, absolutely trusting of her lady, looked into the crystal. The lady's long, pale nails grazed the surface, but there was no sound from her touching the glass.

"She sees things that are hidden. It is an ominous sign that she knows the armor bearers. She must be taken care of, but not by us, well, not directly," the lady said absentmindedly as she watched the red head. She'd been watching the armor bearers when the girl had seen a vision. It was just too coincidental, and this girl, the dark lady realized, might be the key to dissension.

"Mistress," the horrid looking shape shifter's raspy voice echoed as it crept from the shadows. Both ladies, clad only in flowing, lace gowns that appeared nothing more than drapes, turned to look at it. The large, yellow eyes gleamed, anticipating their mission. "Is it time?"

"Yes, go, take her form. Let the seduction begin." With these words, the dark lady dismissed the creature, turning towards the angelic blond.

"When will I get to torture them?" The girl whimpered as childlike joy filled her eyes at the thought of the mutilation, which she could cause to the little boys. "When is it my turn?"

"Not yet, Persephone," the dark lady reassured her little pet as she raised her hand. The girl pouted, going quiet. "Your time hasn't come."

**At the Manor:**

**(Rowen)**

I strummed out "Seven Nation Army" on my base. It was the last song I had learned before going to fight Talpa, and I loved it to death. I was content to just keep playing to the quiet house, silent for the first time in ages. The repeating base melody echoed across the cathedral ceiling. I put down the base and walked over to the old, grand piano, which I had asked Mia not to give away with the solemn promise I would take care of it. I had desired to do this since I had set my eyes on the beauty, but time hadn't permitted it.

I flopped out a book and found myself staring at the classic "Fur Elise" by Beethoven, and took a breath before I let my naturally nimble fingers flow into familiar places, causing the familiar song to ring out across the silent house with more majesty than I've ever heard. This house owned excellent acoustics, and the magnificent instrument added to the grand ability of sound the house already possessed.

But I finished the piece and looked up at the music, realizing I had closed my eyes. I laughed at myself, but choked, as a clapping rang out from behind me. "N…Nilla," I mumbled, and knew I was blushing, but I turned to see her, smiling at me, an oddly lustful look in her eyes, which threw away my blush.

"That was grand," she smiled at me. "Wow, Rowen, I've never heard anyone play like _that_."

"The house has good acoustics," I mumbled out. "You can see for yourself. Ryo's been rambling on and on about what a good cello player you are."

"Oh, I didn't bring my cello," Nilla hesitated, and blushed slightly, but a seductive smile played across her lips. "I forgot."

"Oh?" I said dumbly.

Great, the girl was using music as a cheep cop out to get stuck talking and doing real date activities with me. No, I just had wanted to play music and see where that led. I hated the blind date routine and the assurance of a musical interest suddenly disappeared. "Um, well, that kind of blows holes through my planes this evening . . . "

"No, we can just sit and talk. I'm a little hungry, too," Nilla smiled beckoningly at me. I wished all four the guys would just show up and bail me out of another one-night stand hell.

"Um . . . well, I don't know. You want to hear some more music?" I asked hesitantly. Nilla frowned slightly but nodded in compliance. Good, I could buy some cheap stall time. I picked up my guitar and pulled out a quick little number I wrote. I strummed out the melody extra slow, swearing to kill Ryo every second. His friend was a little whore, no matter how she'd presented herself in school.

"That was wonderful," Nilla said enthusiastically as she walked over to me, putting her arm around my waist. I had enough of this crap back at my old school. Such as luck, and so much for turning over a new leaf with women. She smoothed my shirt gently, and I purposefully adverted my eyes from wandering to other body parts.

"Nilla?" I peered down at her. She smiled sweetly at me, licking her lips.

"Yes?" She stroked my neck. She was pretty when she got this close, but so were most girls, even the psychotic ones.

"I . . . um . . . let me go get you some soda," I said as I quickly sat my guitar down and ran into the kitchen. I leaned against the refrigerator, banging my head. How had this happened again? If this record of women kept up, I just might give them up altogether and go for men. I laughed out loud at that thought. "That'll never happen. The guys would kill me." With a small lift of attitude, I picked up Nilla's soda and pulled my head out of the refrigerator to see her standing behind me.

"Who were you talking to?" She asked simply, but her dark eyes craved me as her fire-red lips curled into a smile.

"Myself," I swallowed the lump in my throat. God, this had to end. She'd have me in bed before the end of the night taking off her glittering, black tank top. "I do that sometimes."

"Well, that sounded like an interesting conversation," Nilla laughed as she jumped on top of the table, crossing her long legs that were wrapped up in tight, red jeans. When she did that, I thought of Kaede, and now, her suggestive parades didn't seem to horrible, and I thought I might like her in Nilla's place.

"Yeah, here," I stammered as I handed the soda to her. She smiled as she took a small sip and licked her lips. Her teasing eyes met mine the entire time. I searched the room for another escape route. Man, playing the cello would have been nicer, and not to mention quite a bit less stressful, for me.

"So, what next?" Nilla asked innocently as she sat her soda down and jumped off the table, advancing on me. "You seem like a bad boy."

"Yeah? Well you might be wrong," I muttered, pushing away from her. I avoided the dating scene mostly for this reason. Getting burned emotionally wasn't my game, and getting played physically wasn't something I liked to do, either.

"Come on," Nilla coaxed, pressing her lips against my neck. "Hey, don't be so tense. I'm falling all over you." Yeah, I noticed. She slipped her hands behind my back, trying to touch my butt.

"Nilla," I groaned as I tried to push her off, but she was incredibly strong. I frowned as her lips worked their slow way up to mine. I put my hand on her forehead, pushing her away before she could plant her kiss. "No, babe, this is fast."

"I thought you wanted a strong, special woman," Nilla added pathetically, looking confused. "And I'm beautiful." She moved her body so I could see that fact.

"Yeah, I'm not blind," I told her, but I gently moved myself away from her, putting a person's distance between us. "You're hot," I stammered, and really, no kidding, "and stuff, but this isn't what I wanted."

"Are you sure? You look like you want me," she pouted as she moved over and traced her hand along my face. "You want me." I froze. Did I want her? Maybe she wasn't lying and somehow, I was blind. "That's better," Nilla coed as she moved her scorching lips up towards mine.

"Help!" A ragged scream wrenched me from the moment of ecstasy. I jerked my head up towards the door where a girl fiddled with the knob and burst into the room. Her tousled red hair and wide, dark eyes looked up at me. "ROWEN!"

"Nilla?" I added dumbly. I squinted, realizing it was Nilla.

"Rowen, she's . . . " the girl pointed, but the Nilla that had been kissing me turned around and slapped the sweaty, tired Nilla that had burst in the door. The seductive Nilla turned back to me, eyes wide. "Evil!"

"What?" I said after I'd spent several minutes replaying the scene in my head. I looked at the two girls. The Nilla that tumbled in from outside was sweaty and clutched her stomach. The seductive Nilla appeared angry, and kicked at the intruder, but then, turned towards me.

"Rowen, this is some kind of evil magic!" Seductive Nilla screamed. "Help me get rid of her, or at the least, call the cops!"

"No! Rowen, she's a shape shifter!" The sweaty Nilla screamed as if a knife had been plunged into her. I moved between them, eyeing up both girls. I raised my hands, both of them looking at me. I backed up towards the counter, putting my hand on the handle of the silverware drawer.

"Nilla, what did I want to do this evening?" I asked both.

"Play duets!"

"Play music!"

"Well, girls, you asked me out," I added, trying to buy time.

"No, you asked me out!" Both screamed at the same time. I rolled my eyes, realizing that I didn't trust either of these women. I paused, considering what each girl had said to me. A shape shifter, I'd definitely heard them say, and I felt they were probably right about that fact since there were two Nillas. Then, and odd idea came into my mind. If I fought the fake Nilla, she might retaliate.

I threw open the drawer, grabbed two knives, and threw one knife at each Nilla as the knives cut each of their arms. The sweaty Nilla clutched her arm in pain and met my eyes with a searing look of betrayal.

Immediately, seductive Nilla began to change features. Her fiery lips melted away and her hair became black as ebony fur rippled all over her. Her tank top tore at her chest as her breasts disappeared and muscles formed. Across her back, large, black wings emerged. Her shoes ripped out to be replaced by large talons, as her legs grew longer and more muscular, ripping her tight pants, revealing a thick tail like a terrible devil's tail that went to what would have been her ankles.

"Shit," I muttered as I reached for my armor orb. I threw on my sub armor as the creature charged at me. I swung a punch at her, but she knocked past me, heading upstairs. I chased the creature as she entered Cye and Kento's room. I tackled her, but the creature threw me against the wall , and I heard a crash. She had flown out the window.

I breathed, taking off my sub armor. I ran back downstairs, looking for the real Nilla. She stood at the doorway, blood flowing down her arm. Her face contorted in a mixture of pain and hate.

"Rowen, why did you stab me!" she shouted, looking utterly confused.

"I hads to stab you! I couldn't think of another question to ask!" I shouted, the frustration of the entire evening turning me livid with rage.

"And here Ryo told me you were a genius!" Nilla yelled at me. "Rowen, I hate you!" I froze as she ran out the door, down the gravel drive. Wow, that was the date from hell.

(Ryo)

"Wow, she was hot," Kento muttered as he nudged me. I nodded, still slightly distracted by all the girls we came across at the club. Kento and I kept Seiji protectively between us, not wanting to loose our sure-bet to girls.

"Let's go," Seiji repeated for about the eight hundredth time. I tugged my bait over to the far corner of the room, where a particularly hot group of women were talking. Seiji groaned again. "Isn't it time to meet Cye?"

"We have a couple more precious minutes," I mumbled. Three of the girls looked over at us. Perfect, one for each of us, and Seiji could give his to me. "Hi, ladies."

"Hmm," a slender blond giggled at Seiji, playing with his hair. A slight blush came over his face. "Ooh, you're so fine." I put on my best smile as the girl looked slightly at me.

"Come here often?" she asked while looking over us.

"Yes," Kento butted into the scene. "We're real partiers."

"Really?" A second girl with pink hair said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. "I come here every week, and I've never seen any of you. Come on girls, these guys are such fakes."

"We're not posing!" I shouted as all three of them turned away. I groaned, and Seiji took the opportunity to make a brake for the door, dragging Kento and me along. I stopped him, eyeing up another girl on the dance floor. Kento helped me to take Seiji over to the mini skirt, tube top clad girl.

"Hello," I said as I smiled at her. She raised an eyebrow. "Want to dance?"

"Um, I have a partner," she added shyly.

"I don't see him," I replied as I boldly took her wrists. She rolled her eyes, a small smile starting to twitch at the corners of her mouth. Her green eyes glittered a little, and a large smile broke out over her face. I grinned right back at her.

"Hey," a deep male voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned to see she had been laughing at the large, tall guy standing behind me. "Get off her," he growled. I groaned, making my way back towards Seiji and Kento, trying to snag more girls. Seiji seized another opportunity, taking us the entire way out the door.

"We're late," he mumbled. I caught up with Seiji's fast strides.

"What's wrong?" Kento laughed. "You got enough lady attention."

"That was not entertaining," Seiji groaned. "You're both pathetic."

"No we're not, that was the best night I've ever had trying to pick up women," Kento said and let out a sigh. "In all the babe quests I've had, man, that was the best."

(Rowen)

"How?" I leaned up against the wall, not able to move from where I had slouched down after Nilla ran out of the house. I'd remembered to take off my armor, mentally smacking myself for letting her see me in it. I had only known the girl a week, but Ryo had told me a lot about her, but I had mistaken Nilla for a shape shifter. I didn't think of Nilla personally before, just as a possible friend and a friend of Ryo's. Now, I felt some personal debt towards her, and I wished I could have spent the evening with the real Nilla. Sadly, I might have liked her.

Her look as she stormed out had been enough to silence me. She condemned me for every thought and action. The shallow part of Rowen won out. God, I enjoyed the shape shifter a couple of times! Was I this naïve? Had I battled demons all summer to go out on a date with one and have no idea?

I sat up, looking at the clock that read ten-thirty. The guys would be home soon. Man, Cye must have had a blast with Lily, while even being single tonight would have been great. Why me?

My luck with women was never great. I always attracted the wrong type of girl, but nothing like a demon shape shifter before. Were demon girls attracted to me? Must be so.  
Turning over a new leaf with girls hadn't gone well. I wanted to ditch my one night stand history when I came to Han'A and get more on track with maybe a steady girl. The summer slightly changed my perspective on what I wanted. I thought being a recluse with girls might be overrated, now, but I found myself back tracking instead of moving forward

.  
"HEY!" Kento's loud voice boomed from outside the house. He flung open the door, a hideous melody floating in behind him. Ryo and Kento erupted in laughter, making my insides cringe. They enjoyed their night. "Babe quest, da-da-da!"

"Hi," Seiji muttered, looking flustered. God knows what he had done tonight, but I would have gladly been Ryo and Kento's girl bait.

"I need a Tylenol," Cye groaned as he rubbed his temples, heading upstairs. "I didn't think it was humanly possible to talk that much." I chuckled. At least my date hadn't been the only sucking one, although Cye probably didn't go out with a demon impersonating his date.

"Have a great time with Nilla?" Seiji asked me wearily as he walked away from the giddy pair of Kento and Ryo. I shrugged.

"It was kind of a disaster," I sighed. "Nothing worked as planned."

"Rowen, the window in my bedroom is broke!" Cye blurted out as he scrambled down the stairs. The entire room quieted, and I knew explanation time had come.

"My window!" Kento yelped. "Rowen, what did you do here tonight!"

"Well, that's a long, sick, story," Ryo and Kento laughed, but Seiji frowned with sincere concern. "You see, in short, I ended up going out with some crazy demon pretending to be Nilla."

"No way," Cye gaped as he waved his hand. "We're in the mortal world now! We don't deal with crazy demons here."

"Yes we do," I moaned as I rubbed my temples. "A shape shifter came as Nilla. She seduced me the entire time, until the real Nilla came, and then, it got worse when I stabbed both of them to find out the real shape shifter. It flew out the window, and Nilla ran out the house."

"What?" Ryo said, absolutely stunned. He found enough energy to stumble over to me, thoroughly confused. "No way. Bull crap."

"Yeah," I said heavily as I gave Ryo a pathetic stare. "I went out with a demon."

"You stabbed my friend!" Ryo shouted, but he seemed in as much shock as I was.

"Well, that sucks," Kento replied lamely as he shrugged, heading upstairs to see the damage.

"Did you call her, make sure she's okay?" Seiji asked me. What was I supposed to do? She outright shot any effort of me helping her down with one, swift, stare of hate. I hung my head.

"I'll call her," Ryo recovered enough of himself as he walked over to the phone.

"Man, and I thought Lily blabbering on all night about everything from finger nail polish to world peace sucked," Cye sighed as he popped a couple Advil.

"Can't reach her," Ryo groaned in frustration as he hung up the phone after about eight tries. "I'll call around, see if anyone's seen her. Rowen, do something."

"What am I supposed to do?" I lashed out as much as I could in my numbed state. "I'm going to bed."

"I'll call Mia to come over and help fix the window tomorrow," Seiji's voice was the only reasonably one still sounding in my head as he reached for the phone, dialing Mia's number as I trudged up the stairs.

(Rowen)

The next day . . .

I slouched against the wall, staring at a copy of _Dracula_ I was reading. Reading always made me feel better, but today I couldn't concentrate on my favorite horror classic. I hadn't changed my clothes, either, but that didn't bother me.

"Rowen," Seiji's said, and his voice sounded gentle as he walked into the room, sitting down opposite of me on his bed. I stared at his concerned, icy blue eyes. "You need to eat and bathe."

"No," I muttered. "I'm reading."

"You're not reading," Seiji muttered. He sighed and then, pulled the book out of my hands. "Rowen, you've read it about thirteen times, and the marker hasn't moved since I came in here an hour ago."

"So?" I hardened my voice as I pulled the covers over my head.

"I don't profess to have gone out with a demon," Seiji began, and that phrase ended with a sigh. "But I think, even if you don't apologize to Nilla, you need to think seriously about this shape shifter."

"Trying," I lied blandly. For some reason, I wasn't bothered that a shape shifter might be trying to attack us, but more upset over Nilla and how my date had been ruined. I had been duped, and Nilla knew what I fool I was, too. The entire thing made me look like the most colossal idiot alive.

"Well, talk when you're ready." Seiji resigned me to my bed as he stood up. "Mia's probably here to fix the window, and she probably brought good food." I flung the covers off my head, unable to suddenly ignore the rumble in my stomach at the thought of Mia's cooking.

"Coming," I muttered, walking down stairs. "If you bug me, I'm going back to sleep."

Sure enough, the fresh smell of Mia's spiced rice and sweet and sour chicken drifted to my nose. I plopped at the table with Kento, Cye, and Ryo, ready to eat.

"Hey guys!" Yuli shouted as he burst through the door, hugging each of us in turn.

"Ah, Mia, why bring him with you?" Ryo teased, having a slight liking to Yuli, since he didn't have any siblings of his own. "You know we fight like crazy."

"Nuh uh," Yuli retorted and frowned at Ryo. "We're buds!"

"Sure," Ryo laughed as he pulled up a seat for Yulie to sit by him. Mia served us each food, and as I began to eat, I found it still didn't have much taste in my mouth. I could still taste her kiss.

"So, I got the window," Mia began, her voice carefully treading into the conversation. She stared over at me, only to receive a flat stare. "What did happen, anyway? It sounds serious."

"A demon pretended to be Rowen's girlfriend," Kento blabbed out. "Cye went out with a blabber mouth, and Ryo and I scoped girls."

"No way!" Yuli shouted as he stared at me wide-eyed. "You're girlfriend is a demon!"

"No, a demon just pretended to be Rowen's girlfriend," Ryo corrected. This conversation quickly wore on my nerves.

"Long night," Cye muttered, but it sounded painful. "I'm pretending I don't have her number."

"Gee, well, I think the demon is a bigger worry," big sister figure Mia tried to focus us as she frowned at our lack of seriousness. "Well, at least you haven't done damage to anything else. The place looks messy, but not bad."

"Thanks," Cye added, beaming with pride. "I've been cleaning."

"Appreciated," Mia said as she got up, already beginning to do dishes. "So, how has school been?"

"Sucking," Ryo muttered.

"How? I thought you'd like going back to normal and everything," Mia kept talking and washing.

"Having your fing girl friend become a monster isn't normal, Mia," I snapped. She glared at me, reminding me Yuli was at the table, too.

"Lied about my absence," Ryo added. "I went to Europe." He sounded about as thrilled as I did. "Seiji has a fan club of almost a hundred members."

"I've got people talking to me, but on the other hand, my girl experiences just keep getting worse," Cye contemplated as he rolled his eyes. "However, I didn't spill anything on her, but I did drop her purse in dirt, but that's better than other times, but I never thought I'd have a problem with girls that talk, well, non-stop. Guess they don't make up for my conversation deficit."

"You should have been with babe quest!" Kento declared. "I'm the only one who hasn't been having a crappy time, Mia, but last night, wow . . ."

"What?" Mia said as she glared at Kento. He gave her an enormous grin, winding up to his victory shout.

"BABE QUEST!" Kento and Ryo shouted in a sudden burst of happiness. "Mia, we hooked girls like crazy!"

"I did," Seiji muttered. "I played the bait, Mia."

"Good god, boys, can't you get your own dates?" Mia chided them good-naturedly as she rolled her eyes at Kento. "We need to fix the window, Kento. Get upstairs, all of you, so we can start this and finish it. Yuli and I need to get going soon."

"Yeah, Yuli, how are your parents?" Ryo asked as everyone cleaned the table before we went upstairs. I thought I would just go back to bed and lay down, but I stuck around to help with clearing the table.

"Um . . . I've been living with my aunt and uncle," Yuli said, and I would have been more concerned if I didn't have a headache. "They're nice and all, though, and they let me do more things."

"So, where are your parents?" Ryo asked, and I started up the steps, but I walked slowly as I listened to them talk.

"They're, well, we don't know," Mia said, "but we're looking for them."

(Rowen)

The alarm buzzed somewhere far away, but I swatted right above my head. I stared at the ceiling, not believing I passed the entire weekend. There was still not word from Nilla, but Ryo found out she ended up at home. She hadn't wanted to talk to anyone, and I wondered if she would be at school.

"Rowen!" Seiji shouted as he ripped me onto the floor. "You've overslept twenty minutes! We're really late!" I stumbled up to the shower. "Rowen, hurry up!" Seiji's voice sounded from outside the door. I threw on the closest and cleanest uniform, heading down stairs. The other guys had just walked outside the door. I quickly grabbed some cereal bars as Seiji hustled me down the driveway.

"Babe quest!" Kento began another version of the song he and Ryo made up to dedicate their night scouting for girls. I felt in no mood for it, but I had no energy to stop their frolicking. "Ba-ba-ba-ba!"

"Ba-ba!" Ryo added his part. The song changed every time, but it didn't make it any less obnoxious than Ryo's trombone playing. Cye threw some gravel at Kento, and I appriciated the sentiment.

"Come on, don't do this in school," Cye moaned. "Keep it to yourselves!" Ryo and Kento burst into hysterical laughter, and I rolled my eyes.

"Come on, Rowen," Kento yawned, trying to be cheerful as he put his arm around my shoulder. "Talk to her. Woo her with your manly charm. She'll be all girly and forgive you, just like she forgave Ryo."

"And you can at least be friends," Ryo mused, but his sheepish shrug betrayed his real uneasiness. "I screwed it up bad with her, but all was forgiven."

I wondered if girls did that, but I remembered of the way that she drooled all over me when we met. Seiji pulled me onto the bus, where I drifted off to sleep with my head against the window.

"Great," Seiji's voice was in my ear while he was shaking me awake. "You're getting up with me tomorrow."

I didn't respond to him, but shuffled off the bus. I looked around at the bustling world, feeling the heaviness in my head increase. I looked up, watching as the melee of people spilled into the school. I stood still for several moments before making my way into the gym for the _tyourei_.

"Rowen," Cye's soft voice called my name as I moved through the masses. I shrugged him off, walking to my spot. I stood there, not really listening to anything. My mind went into replay, flashing over the entire date, and I mentally kicked myself for being such an idiot not to see through the trap.

"Mr. Hashiba, you looked exhausted," Kaede's voice registered in my mind. I turned to look over at her. Her silky hair was pulled back in a pony tail, but she'd moved her bang's part to the right, giving her a look that was just as lovely as the one she'd worn last week.

"Yeah," I added frankly as she took my arm, leading me out of the gym. I looked down at her, raising my eyes as she led me down the hallway. "Does every girl tug men around, or is it just you?"

"Only special ladies," Kaede chuckled as she stopped in front of our seats, waiting for me to plop down. I rubbed some of the sleep out of my bleary eyes before starting to talk to her.

"So, what did you do?" I asked.

"Kento said you couldn't come with us to karaoke, so I took it that you were doing something this weekend," Kaede kept her voice level and business like, just to make sure I'd gotten the point that she wanted to know what I had done.

"So?" Kaede asked, waiting for me to continue the little discussion. It was then that I froze up, not wanting to spill my guts. I turned my head away, but her hand found my chin. She easily turned me back towards her, and her deep, almond eyes caught my attention. They lived and were full of sincerity. I trusted her eyes for a moment, but I saw Nilla's hurt face looking back at me out of them.

"I had a disaster date with Xailong Nilla," I told her after several moments of her staring at me. Kaede's eyebrows raised as she sat there, processing the information. The concern in her eyes became tainted with disbelief.

"Nilla? Poor boy, you really went out with her?" Kaede coed, letting out a deep sigh. "I could have warned you."

I was about to ask her what she meant, but the teacher entered the room. I suddenly realized that maybe I should have asked another girl or somebody else. It occurred to me that other people besides Ryo knew who Nilla was, and maybe if they had told me she was a jerk, well, I wouldn't be in this mess now.

Later that day . . .

Lunch broke up, and I found myself wandering away from Kento's group of merry misfits. Being with the three of them had lifted my spirits up, and Kaede made sure to goad Kento more than usual today. She told me, as I turned to go to orchestra, that it was to make me feel better.

"Rowen!" Ryo shouted to me as I entered the locker room. I smirked automatically at seeing his trombone. "You're in a better mood."

"Yeah, Kento and friends do that to you," I told him as we turned to go towards the orchestra room.

"Rowen!" Nilla charged down the isle, blocking our exit. Her face was flushed, and although she didn't look as terrible as she did when I'd last seen her, her anger had increased ten times. "You moron!" Nilla slapped me against the cheek. "You . . . "

"Nilla!" Ryo sprinted between us, banging his trombone against the wall. "Whoa! I'm sure we can talk this out!"

"And you!" Nilla turned on Ryo. "Just stay out of this! You and your playboy are enough for me!"

Ryo froze, and then Nilla turned on me again. "I spent a terrible weekend at home! You caused me hell! What where you thinking! Couldn't you tell something was happening?"

"Stubborn, headstrong female," I spat at her. Nilla put her hands on her hips. "No, sorry, it missed my attention that anything abnormal was going on because I thought you were a slut."

"You're lucky I'm giving you two minutes!" Nilla kept fuming.

"You're lucky I asked you out," I said with steely calmness.

"That's right, you like sluttish creatures better," Nilla seethed, but then, her anger drained away for a moment. "What did you do, anyway? You used . . . something, you put something on and you scared it away . . ."

"I don't have time for this," I growled, finding new fury as realizing she'd seen and remembered me putting on my sub armor. I stormed past Nilla, shoving her into the wall. Ryo jogged up behind me, and soon over took me, pulling me to the side.

"She saw your armor?" Ryo hissed with his eyes huge and boring into mine.

"Yes, the sub armor," I grumbled, shoving Ryo out of the way, too.

Had I been sad over her? Did she make my day miserable? Gods, what was I thinking? Nilla's fangs showed up fast.

MorganRay: July 2007: Again, just here to say this chapter didn't change much. I'd appriciate your reviews/criticisms on this chapter. It's a very Rowen centeric chapter, though, for those of you who were wishing for some more of anyone else. There was a lot of Ryo centeric story happening, but it got switched to Rowen for a change because Rowen's just the type of person to be emotionally troubled. Also, I did add the part about Yuli not living with his parents. I'm just saying it's important.


	8. Lessons Learned

**Lessons Learned**

(Seiji)

The structured classes broke up for lunch, and everyone went into their ritualistic groups. The gaggle of girls that had assaulted me every day since I'd arrived gathered in a corner, and I eyed them while they chattered to each other, oblivious to everyone else alive. I refused lunch with them again when one of them asked me, and I stood up to leave the classroom, but before I could leave, Nakeisha appeared in my peripheral vision.

"I don't see why you don't eat with them," Nakeisha said in the same defensive tone she'd used every time I'd seen her. The petit girl hadn't changed except that she'd stopped sulking a bit more the past couple days. Other than that, her attitude and stony chestnut eyes were always there to back up her mouth.

"Because I don't want to," I sighed, grabbing my things to leave. "Why don't you eat with anyone?"

"I haven't found a group yet," Nakeisha replied, and I heard an edge of bitterness in her voice. I frowned, feeling a pang of pity and sympathy for the girl. She was lonely, whether she admitted it or not.

"You _could_ eat with me." I told her.

"No thanks," Nakeisha said with a sarcastic smile. "I like the invisible people better."

"I offered." Then, turning my back on her, I walked out of the room. The hallways bustled with people, and I was glad for seeing everyone milling around, mostly not paying attention to me. I enjoyed it when the spotlight went off me, even for a few seconds. I liked attention, but it was the feeling of being on a pedestal all day that wore me thin.

"Seiji," Cye greeted me warmly. He carried several cans of soda in his hands. "I'm glad to see you."

"Same," I said with relief. "Nakeisha wears on my nerves. How has it been holding up?"

"Lily? Same. I've been nice to her, and she's chattering about the wonderful date _we_ had," Cye hinted that he didn't feel the same. I'd listened to both Rowen and him moan about their awful dates, but the difference was, Rowen didn't have to see Nilla again if he really didn't want to because she obviously didn't want to see him again. However, Lily and Cye saw each other everyday, and she obsessed about him, fawning on him openly during lunches, too.

"Nilla?" I asked the fateful question. Cye slowly glanced over at me, his turquoise eyes looking exhausted.

"You know she hasn't wanted to eat around us, even Lily, who doesn't know what happened. Apparently, I think she didn't tell anyone, and Ryo and I are pretending we don't know the full account, either, because it's a weird story," Cye whispered. I nodded slowly, understanding why Nilla would seclude herself after being attacked. She saw a monster and Rowen in his armor, which would make any sane person terrified.

"The best part," Cye muttered under his breath as we approached their room, "is that Lee and Tomo blame everything on Rowen. It's a mess."

"Very well stated," I brightened my voice as we walked in the open doorway. I smiled at the little group that was sitting together. Lily talked animatedly to Ryo, Lee, and Tomo, while Akio looked down in his plate, smiling at the funnier points of her story.

"Cye, I got you a seat!" Lily squealed as she gestured beside her. I took my seat between Ryo and Akio. The group quieted down slightly when we arrived, but only for a moment.

"Cye's a tutor," Lee said with a wicked grin. "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah, he'll be tutoring you soon," Tomo teased.

"It's not a big deal," Cye said as a slight blush came over his face.

"Yeah, because _you_ can actually understand what the woman is saying," Lee added firmly. "I can't. Tomo can't. Ryo can't."

"I can't either, Cye. Will you tutor me?" Lily pouted.

"We knew you couldn't," Lee quipped. "It didn't need saying."

"That's mean, Lee-kun!" Lily's voice reached a shrill note. Lee just chuckled and kept eating.

I smiled slightly, glad that the atmosphere was lighter today. However, a slight pall hung over the group as a whole because no one wanted to mention or admit they were missing a member and couldn't reach out to her. On the bright side, no one had even mentioned the words volley or ball since the incident, and Lee's attitude toward me had improved greatly when he didn't feel in any type of competition towards me. I had the feeling that the less girls that were around, the better for our relationship and sanity.

"What have you been doing all day?" Ryo asked me, turning from the banter between Lily, Lee, and Tomo.

"Just doing my studies and fending off girls, mostly Nakeisha," I said with a deep sigh. "It's a chore."

"I bet," Ryo added sarcastically. "I feel so sorry for you."

"What do you do all day?" I replied with an equal amount of sarcasm. I leaned back in my chair, stretching my arms above me head. "I bet it's hard work being Ryo Sanada."

"It is," Ryo said in mock seriousness. "I have to keep everyone in line."

"You wish," Lee burst out in laughter, almost spitting out food. Tomo chuckled slightly, while Cye just raised his eyebrows. He met my eyes, and we shared our private laughter in a quick glance.

"You should really run for a class position, though. You'd be good at it, Ryo," Lily said enthusiastically, pointing to a poster and a pile of papers. I stared at the sheet calling for the sign-up of individual classroom officers along with the sheet for the sign-up for officers for the entire grade.

"Yeah, if Akio can run and win secretary, you definitely can run," Tomo complemented Ryo. Apparently, whenever he actually praised his brother, it served as a compliment for someone else.

"I hate politics," Ryo grimaced, shaking his head. "I'm no good at the political scene. I have no tact."

"You're right," I acknowledged that valid point. "I can't picture you in the political arena. You're too good for politics."

"Thanks," Ryo said, giving me a nod of his head. A sober smile slid across his lips, and I knew he fully understood my serious compliment.

"Nilla," Lily's usually shrieking voice maintained a normal but hyper tone as the red head walked into the room. She glanced around, avoiding our gazes and everyone's eyes as she approached us.

"Lunch is over. We have to clean up," Nilla said to the wall where the cleaning cupboard sat. I stood up and decided it was time to take my leave. I didn't want to be around when everyone's moods went sour again.

"I'll see you later," I politely excused myself. I walked back to my own room, where I grabbed a rag and spray bottle to wipe down the desktops before class. I did over half of the classroom, assisting the other student who was washing desks. Then, the chores were done, and everyone began getting ready for the next class.

(Nakeisha)

Throwing away my garbage, I grudgingly returned to my seat. I leaned my head against my palm, brooding silently about how enormously unfair it was that Japan had turned out like this. When my parents had moved to Japan because of my dad's business, I was truly excited. I'd taken Japanese in school, so I knew some already.

But people here, at least socially in the schools, acted the same as they did in New York. I was ignored, and frankly, I found myself not minding being alone because I despised over half the people that I'd met. I'd heard that you could have the same problems everywhere you went because you took them with you.

If I had one problem, it was Sean, and they loved my brother. Gods, it made me sick, my brother seemed to fit right in after he learned some Japanese. However, I was glad I wasn't held back two grades.

I heard Seiji sit down beside me and take out his books. I made sure to stare out the window, ignoring my seat partner. I couldn't stand how he oozed the smell of expensive collogue and snobbery. I was sure he knew my brother, and of course, they'd be friends.

I stood up when the teacher came in, doing the customary bow. I sat down, preparing my mind for World History. I sat there, listening to the lecture, pleasantly ignoring Seiji. The short, balding male teacher, Mr. Saki, was lecturing on Imperialism today, and I desperately tried to pay attention.

At the end of the lesson, I had several pages of notes, and the aching desire to go the bathroom. When we had our ten-minute break, I slid out of the room, walking down the hall towards the girl's restroom.

I slid into the bathroom stall and went the bathroom, enjoying the quiet. No one usually went to this bathroom because it only had two stales, and one of them was usually broke. However, just as I began to relax the door opened and two girls walked into the room with me.

"Nilla-chan, we've all missed you, really, not just me," a high pitched voice sounded like she was about to cry through her pleading. "Whatever happened . . ."

"It's okay," the other girl's voice was deeper and so calm compared to her friend's voice that it shocked me. "I'm fine, I promise." No, she sounded too sober, even slightly depressed.

"You're not fine! You almost passed out again!" The first girl shrieked, in hysterics by now. I just realized I'd been sitting abnormally silent on the toilet. Then, the first girl began to cry.

"I'm sorry," the second girl whispered hoarsely. "I didn't mean to hurt you, but I'm confused, even a bit scared."

"Me too," the other girl whispered. "I'm afraid because of you, for you."

"I'm afraid because I think something happened this summer, only the problem is we can't remember it," the second girl whispered. My jaw dropped, and suddenly, I had that feeling, too. Suddenly, my vision seemed to explode in a million fragments, but at the same time I saw something.

'_This is how Talpa repays us for our loyalty?_' A man with only one good eye, wearing samurai armor, asked hopelessly as a battle swirled around him. Or was it the burning in my mind that caused the confusion in what I saw? No, shadowed figures, all clad in armor, fought under a strange, honey colored sky. My mind burned, erupting in pain as I tried to focus.

Then, the figures were taken, picked up by huge barges with oars. They were screaming, and I heard sinister laughing. Where were they going? I strained, as if squinting through a pane of glass that was getting murkier as I tried harder to focus.

Then, POP! I breathed deeply and exhaled quickly, realizing I'd sat on the toilet the entire time. The girls had left, but I knew the one girl was right. What had I seen? I rubbed my slightly throbbing temples, exited the stall, and washed my hands. I checked my watch, relieved to see I still had five minutes of time left. I headed towards a door, which led to a flight of stairs. I stopped, hearing laughter on the other side of the doors. I kept out of sight, intrigued to hear this conversation, too.

"You two are being very rude. I just need to walk up to the men's restroom," the unmistakably polite voice of Seiji reached my ears. I almost jumped in shock, and a small smile spread over my face. I got to hear someone giving Seiji trouble.

"Ooo, pretty boy has to take a dump," my brother's mocking voice came from a flight up. I jumped literally this time, realizing what was happening.

"Please move?" Seiji asked.

"No," Bahkura replied in a bass grunt. My brother laughed at Seiji, who was probably trying to get past Bahkura's bulk.

"I need to go the bathroom before class," Seiji asked again. "Thank you," he said, thinking he got past. I peered through the little window in the door, watching as I heard a loud thump from the top of the stairs. Seiji tumbled down the first couple stairs, which Bahkura had shoved him down. He caught himself, but Bahkura and my brother ran down, tripping and shoving him the rest of the way to the bottom.

"See ya!" My brother yelled as he and Bahkura burst into laughter on their way up the steps. I immediately turned and went to the classroom before Seiji could see me. I felt my heart pounding, twice as stunned as when I was in the bathroom.

Seiji reappeared in the room shortly after me, looking slightly ruffled, but not hurt. He sat stiffly beside me, staring at the board, standing silently and bowing when the teacher came in the room. I sat through another class, too preoccupied to bother doing much but taking halfhearted notes on some mathematical terms.

After the class, I turned to face Seiji. I stared at him for several seconds, but he was either ignoring me or really didn't care. Fine, I'd make him care. "Date," I commanded him to look at me. "Date. Date Seiji."

"What?" He spun around, asking me, and there was real anger in his voice. For once, I knew he wasn't being sarcastic or witty with me. Yes, he was very upset.

"I wanted to . . . ask you about something. You haven't seemed your usual, preppy self," I began, deciding what exactly I wanted to say.

"Well, I was a little clumsy on the stairs. Couldn't catch myself during a fall after growing up in a dojo and, well, just having a lot of experience at thinking on my feet," Seiji opened up to me rather easily, but there was a note of bitterness in his voice I'd never heard. I'd really never thought about him and his family before, but I knew he came from a prestigious family.

"You _should_ _have_ caught yourself?" I asked, hoping he didn't realize I'd seen what happened. I personally thought he was lucky not to be black and blue all over.

"Yes, I should have," Seiji muttered and sighed regretfully. "I suppose things haven't gone better with Rowen, Ryo, and Cye today, though."

"Who?" I realized Seiji had never talked about anybody to me.

"My friends, who've had a rougher time this past week and weekend that I've had," Seiji said, trying to smile weakly, but I knew he felt upset. I didn't know how I knew, but I did.

"Yeah, I heard the weirdest conversation in the bathroom," I said off-handedly, trying to change the subject. I also had a burning urge to see if Seiji agreed about what had happened that didn't happen this summer.

"What?" Seiji asked, only remotely interested, but gave me his full attention anyway.

"I heard two girls talking, and one said something about how she felt that something had happened this summer that we couldn't remember. Not just her, but her and her friend, and funny, I feel like they meant me, too," I said the last part in a lower voice. I was slightly shocked, realizing I was having my first civil conversation with Seiji.

"Who said this? They're probably making things up because I definitely just don't forgot whole periods of time unless I'm sleeping or unconscious," Seiji replied coolly, almost seeming to mock me. I clenched my fists and scowled at Seiji.

"I was being serious, you jerk, and I don't know the girls," I spat at him. He raised his eyebrows and pulled slightly away from me, startled at my change in attitude. Why should he be? He'd brought my temper back, after all, and all thoughts of me telling him my vision vanished from my mind.

My vision, yes that's what it had been. I froze, and I realized, I'd had a vision.

(N'deki)

I walked down the street, the humid breeze whipping my long, lank hair around my face and shoulders. I pushed it behind my ears again, checking to make sure I had the right street. I looked over at the old brick building stuffed unceremoniously between better-kept, newer buildings. I walked up the steps to the heavy, metal door and swung it open.

The air inside was dank, as if a window had never been opened in this place. I coughed on the dusty air, which was a shock from the breeze outside, which was fresh and cool. The man at the desk, who was about as stuffy as this place, looked up at me impassively as I walked over to him. He ran a hand through his straggly hair as I pulled out my permission papers.

"I'm here to tutor Zera Kolav," I said timidly. He nodded as he took the papers and skimmed them over before handing them back to me.

"Two twelve," he sounded bored. I nodded, walking up the rickety stairs. I could hear people talking in some of the rooms, and a few of the doors were open. I was secretly glad my dad had moved to Japan with me, and I didn't have to go to one of these places.

Two twelve was the second to last room in the hall. I knocked on the door, waiting patiently for Zera to open it. The door flung open about a minute later, and a tall, muscled girl looked down into my face. "Yes?"

I'd never felt so flustered, not used to girls around six feet tall. Her stern, unyielding emerald eyes met mine, as if trying to size me up or read my mind. I fixed my eyes on the tips of my shoes as I said, "N'deki Ferguson. I'm here to tutor you in Japanese. I-I heard you spoke decent English?"

"Yes," Zera said curtly, opening the door for me to come into her room. I looked around at the bare room, her suitcases by the rickety dresser. She'd bought a new blanket for the bed, a beautiful color of red, which stood out in the dingy space, lit only by a weak lamp and sparse light coming through the window.

"Can I see any, um, study materials or books you had to learn, um, Japanese?" I asked hesitantly, wondering how much Japanese she really knew. Zera opened a drawer and handed me a textbook, and I read through the translations, seeing she didn't know too much, really.

"Well, I brought some tapes," I muttered, handing them over to her.

"No tape player," Zera's words were hard and short. I bit my lip, deciding she really needed one.

"Well, I'll bring one, okay?" I tried to sound cheerful, but my efforts fell flat. Zera sat on the bed, waiting for me to do something. I shuffled through my mailbag and pulled out a book and handed it to Zera. She flipped through it impassively before looking up at me.

"Learn this? By when?" she asked stiffly.

"Well, I was going to start you today, but the best way is to, um, just go out and expose yourself to how the language sounds," I relayed the standard piece of advice I'd given to every student that needed to learn Japanese.

"Okay," Zera replied, and I realized she was waiting for me to start teaching. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I began to go over a vocabulary list with her. There were fifty words, but I wouldn't see her for three days, so she had time.

"So, I hope you understand," I said after going over a list of basic questions, too. "It'll be review and a quiz next time, and I'll get the tape player."

"Okay," Zera said, and I checked my watch. I mentally groaned, realizing I still had fifteen minutes, but I'd gone through the material. I swallowed the lump in my throat, looking over at the foreign girl. Her long, wavy brunette hair went down to her mid-back, but it was still shorter than mine was. She was pretty, in the way a mountain covered with jagged ledges and perilous cliffs was beautiful, and she intimidated me like no one else had ever been able to do.

"So, you're from Russia," my own words sounded lame to me. She looked over at me, giving a quick nod. I bit my lip, feeling very awkward with this girl. "What's it like?"

"Cold," Zera sounded bored, too. I swallowed, realizing I needed to spend all my time in here, and I'd tried to at least get to know my previous students.

"Why did you come?" I asked her. Silence stretched between us, and I thought the rest of the time would pass before she answered me.

"I wanted a better school," she finally said, and I got the hint she didn't want to give the lengthy version. I swallowed, trying to think of anything less personal to ask.

"Have you been around the city?" I asked, trying to be cheerful again. It was a miserable attempt because I just sounded very false.

"Once," Zera said as she patted the blanket. I nodded, understanding what she meant.

"You should go more often. It's a nice city, I think you'll enjoy it," I truly meant the last part.

"Do you?" I was startled she asked.

"Well, yes, I-I do," I shakily replied, surprised she asked at all.

"Hmm," Zera muttered, staring off into the air, ignoring me again. I sat there beside her, looking off into space, replaying today's day. It hadn't been an amazing day. I tried, and failed, to talk to Sanada Ryo again. I'd come so close, and had ended up saying something brief to Cye instead of Ryo. Other than that, I had studied, taken notes, and done my little alto part in chorus.

I wanted to go home and work on another little dying plant I'd picked up. The last time I'd done some healing magic, I'd had the dream, and I hoped that maybe it meant my powers were expanding. I desperately wanted to find out if I could heal another plant.

"I'll see you in three days, at this time," I said timidly, standing up. I bowed politely to Zera, but she just nodded and let me show myself to the door. I coughed on the dust in the hallway, realizing her room had been a tad cleaner.

I quickly got out of the building, but first I filled out a little card at the desk that said how many hours of tutoring Zera did today, which was one hour. I left the dilapidated building, glad to be in the fresh air again. Well, the air was definitely fresher than in that place.

I walked down the street, enjoying the breeze, which brought with it the scent of a sweet, warm summer. As I made my way home, I decided to walk into a park, Wisteria Park, known for all the trees with their wisteria blossoms, and the lilac colored petals floated around as the scent filled the air. They would be blooming, too, which would be beautiful. I walked through one of the gates, making my way through the grass, past people strolling, jogging, and playing.

I walked to the little lake and paused briefly. I'd always liked this spot. I walked across the bridge, looking down into the water, watching my reflection over the edge of the rail. Bushes and trees grew thickly around this place, so it was remotely isolated from the busy city.

I looked up from the water, realizing it was dark. Wait, it wasn't dark. I knew better, and I looked around, unable to hear the sounds of the bustling city. I became frightened, trying to pull out of this nightmare. Instead, I found myself transfixed. I turned, seeing an old man with a wide brimmed hat slanting down in front of his eyes. He wore a simple tunic and had silky, silver hair. He would have looked like a rice farmer, if it weren't for the tall, ornate golden staff he held.

"Talpa will do anything to retrieve your armor," the old man said to me. What? I didn't say anything because I couldn't. I tried to yank myself free from this fiendish dream, but I failed. I mentally pulled at whatever held me here, but I wouldn't budge.

"No!" I heard myself scream before the man could say any more. It was my voice, and I was standing at the railing, looking down into the water, the day as sunny and clear as I remembered, and the blossoms floated from the trees and landed in the water. I realized I was shaking, and I back away from the railing and made my way warily off the bridge.

I didn't like these particular dreams because having no control over myself in them was eerie. I didn't know what I'd been seeing. I paused, realizing this was my third dream, and the first during the daytime, when I'd actually been awake.

Maybe my powers were growing, which was great, but why was I having these dreams? I frowned because I was unsure of whom they were about. Were they about that man? I hadn't seen him in the first two dreams, though. I wandered around Wisteria Park, thinking up theories for my dreams.

Maybe they were being sent to me. But who would be powerful enough to send me a dream? No, it seemed logical that my powers were growing, and this was just part of the step, but these dreams had nothing to do with healing. I frowned and bit my lower lip, trying to concentrate to figure out what exactly I'd seen. Nothing had significantly tipped me off so far as to any idea what the dreams were telling me. I sighed, walking back towards the street, and I pushed the vision out of my mind, deciding not to enter Wisteria Park for a while.

July 2007

A/N: This chapter is new, and I felt like writing it, so I did. Let me know what you think if and when you read it. I appreciate any comments, really, I do. I added some to Nakiesha, and I've just been perfecting grammar because, when I wrote this for fun two years ago, I really didn't care for grammar. Well, after getting into college and taking some really challenging English classes, I can write SO much better now, and I try to be grammatically correct whenever I talk and write anything, now. So, this is the grammatically revamped chapter. However, there may be spelling errors because I can't spell some words without spell check, so please, point that out to me. Thanks, MorganRay


	9. Phone Calls

**Phone Calls**

(Kento)

"See you tomorrow!" I shouted up the stairs at Sean and Bahkura. I disappeared through the crowd, weaving my way towards the doors to meet the guys. I walked outside into the fresh air, with the breeze whipping at my clothes.

"Kento," Kaede said as she walked up behind me with Rowen by her side. Rowen had eaten with us, and I thought Kaede was taking a liking to him. She'd heard about Nilla's date with him and seemed unusually perky this week. Of course, she hated the girl.

"Kaede," I greeted her. The three of us walked out of the main flow of traffic, waiting under a maple for the rest of the guys. "How is the smart world?"

"Oh, Rowen set the curve on our first test," Kaede said airily. "Highest marks, only missed one, right?" Rowen nodded in assent. "I didn't do shabby, either, only missing three."

"Yeah, stupid mistake," Rowen muttered. "Should have gotten that one right. Messed up my adding."

"Ooh, you're an idiot now," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Watch out or else I'll pass you up."

"All I'm saying is I should have gotten a perfect score," Rowen whined. Then, Seiji, Cye, and Ryo came bounding down the stairs, Seiji leading the group. His eyebrows were knitted, as if in deep concentration, and his frown had been etched in his face for a while.

"Hey," Ryo grinned as he walked over to us, while Seiji held on to Cye's arm, saying something which was probably important by the look on his face. "It's a great day, huh?"

"Sanada Ryo, it's been a while since I've seen you," Kaede commented, and I couldn't help but hear a slight wariness in her voice. Kaede looked him over, a slight grin on her face. "Working out?"

"No, just leading an active life," Ryo smirked, and Kaede laughed at his little joke. She looked over as Seiji and Cye approached.

"We've got errands to run," Seiji said, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache. "We'll go to the grocery store first. Mia won't be able to stop by for a while because she's busy, so we have to manage ourselves."

"Gre-at," Ryo drug out the word in fake enthusiasm. Seiji gave Kaede a one second smile as a greeting, not the whole bow-and-talk greeting that was polite. Kaede looked over at me, and then between all of us.

"Well, a girl can tell when she's not wanted, so I'll be off. See you guys later," Kaede waved, giving us a wink as she walked away. I waved back, but was cut short as Seiji grabbed my arm, ready to attack the grocery store.

"What's the rush?" I muttered. "You totally blew Kaede off."

"I'm sure I'll see her again," Seiji said tersely. "Right now, we shop because, later, I've got a pile of homework to do. Projects are coming, along with tests, and I'm going to have to clean a lot of the house since _you_ won't do it."

"_Well_, I can't argue there," I said, making sure to keep my distance from Seiji, who was in an unusually angry mood as he stormed ahead of the group. Cye walked up to him, trying to keep pace with him as he strode down the street.

"So, how was your day?" Ryo asked Rowen and me in an overly pleasant voice. He made sure we were far enough away from Seiji and Cye so they couldn't hear us, but we could still see them.

"Actually, I've been havin' a good week," I said. Rowen rolled his eyes and gave a strained chuckle. "What?"

"I think I've got a problem," Rowen laughed without any humor in his voice. Ryo and I looked at him, waiting for an answer. Rowen shifted his eyes between us before responding. I got the feeling that he wasn't going to tell us. "It's a stupid little problem, anyway. On a more serious note, I messed up on my Calculus test. I didn't add right. Damn, almost a perfect score."

"The world is going to end!" Ryo shouted as he threw his arms up in the air. "Rowen's not perfect!"

"Shut up," Rowen grunted, punching Ryo on the arm. Ryo just laughed, rolling his eyes at Rowen's whining. "It's a big deal to me."

"Yeah, I'll take missing one on a math test any day, because I usually miss anywhere between fifteen and five," Ryo was more serious now. I nodded, deciding I'd like a piece of Rowen's brain, but wow, did he make me feel extra dumb, like I wasn't slow on the up take already.

"Kaede is a little distracting," Rowen muttered to himself, but both Ryo and I heard him. I raised my eyebrows, while Ryo chuckled, a smirk sliding over his face.

"That's the _real_ problem, huh? Kaede, the freaking sexiest girl in school, is distracting you. Wow, Hashiba Rowen, distracted by a girl, proving he's only a mortal man," Ryo said very sarcastically, but in a softer voice, so only the three of us could hear. Rowen scowled, and I suddenly realized it was true. Kaede _did_ have an attraction to Rowen, and it was weighing on his mind that he might like her, too.

"Yeah, I don't want to go out with her, right now, considering what just happened," Rowen muttered under his breath. He looked at the ground, kicking along a stone as he walked. He didn't look up as he said wistfully, "I wish all this crap would just disappear with Nilla and Kaede."

"You can have emotions, dude," I said. Rowen shot me a death look and sped up his pace to join Seiji and Cye. I shrugged and was just glad I didn't have conflicting emotional problems. I didn't have a girl to worry about, which right now, seemed like a great thing.

"Some days," Ryo said, clicking his tongue. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and the grin on his face and light heartedness in his expression faded. He frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. "It's not like I don't have problems, either," Ryo's voice became moody, taking on a darker tone. Then, in a quiet, hard, and bitter voice he said, "It's not all about Hashiba Rowen."

But, as quickly as his mood had come, it went, because we arrived at the grocery store. I didn't even get the chance to tell him to lighten up. Seiji turned around for the first time, checking that we had followed. Ryo looked up at him attentively, neither happy nor angry, just waiting for orders.

"Okay, I split the list," Seiji said as he handed Ryo and I a slip of paper. "You two are getting the dairy foods, Cye and Rowen are getting the fruits and vegetables, and I'm getting everything else. We have half an hour."

Ryo and I entered the store, and Ryo grabbed a basket. He headed toward the section with all the freezers and refrigerators. "Bet we get done first!" I shouted at Rowen and Cye. Cye and Rowen glanced at each other and smirked, literally running towards the produce section. Before I knew it, Ryo had taken off towards the cheese at a dead run, basket flailing at his side. It took me a while to catch him, but as he began to grab a hunk of cheese, I caught up.

"Seriously, warn me when you do that," I panted.

"Milk!" Ryo shouted, and we both sprinted for the milk. "Get the cottage cheese!"

I raced over, throwing two containers in the cart. Ryo grabbed the sour cream, tossing it in, too. "Butter! Eggs!"

I picked up the eggs, throwing them inside the basket before realizing I'd broken them all. Ryo's eyes widened, and he took them out, stuffing them on the back of the shelf. We raced on, collecting all our products in ten minutes. We rushed to the checkout, looking around for Rowen and Cye, who came charging up an aisle and into a line. We jumped in a line, hoping ours would be the shorter line.

"Faster, faster," Ryo muttered anxiously as the cashier scanned the items. The beep beep of the machine seemed to intensify the race, and I nervously tapped my fingers on the counter. I looked over, watching as Rowen and Cye grabbed their bags and rushed outside. Ryo quickly shoved me a couple bags, and he raced out, trying to catch Rowen.

"We won!" Rowen shouted as he beat Ryo out of the store. Cye and Rowen high-fived each other, grocery bags draped on their arms. "That was sweet!"

"You barely won," I panted, coming to stand beside Ryo, who, despite losing, was grinning from ear to ear.

"Maybe next time," Rowen said in mock sympathy, patting Ryo on the back. About fifteen minutes later, Seiji walked out, carrying the last of the food. He looked the four of us over, as if confused as to how we finished before he did.

"How long have you been out here?" Seiji asked as he motioned us to walk down the street with him.

"Oh, about fifteen minutes," Rowen said nonchalantly. "We just raced around the grocery store, seeing who could get out here first. Cye and I won, by the way. We're the dynamic duo of grocery shopping."

"You won by a foot," Ryo chimed into the conversaion. Seiji looked between Ryo and Rowen, letting out an aggravated sigh. Ryo slapped Seiji on the back, smacking him with the grocery bags. "You need to lighten up, it was a blast!"

"Sorry if my idea of fun isn't racing around like an idiot," Seiji's words were laced with more than a hint of contempt.

"I'm hungry. We need to eat!" I declared, deciding I'd had enough of Seiji's lecture. I wanted food, and I wanted it while the four of us were in a good mood, too. It was the first time I'd seen Rowen joking and goofing around since the Nilla thing.

"You're always hungry, but I'm hungry too, so where?" Ryo asked me. I shrugged. Any place was fine with me.

"Your family's restaurant, Yokohama, is around the block, isn't it?" Cye asked me. I scratched my head and laughed, remembering why this side of town was so familiar.

"Yeah, just take a right," I said as Ryo, Rowen, and Cye exchanged a look. Cye just shook his head, but Ryo and Rowen had fiendish grins on their faces as they fell back away from Seiji. Ryo walked on my left, while Rowen walked on my right side. I stared between them, both with mischievous smiles on both their faces.

"Kento, how long have you lived here?" Rowen asked me first.

"My entire life, okay?" I grumbled. I didn't want another I'm-smarter-than-you lesson from Rowen.

"You don't know where your own house is?" Ryo asked me this time.

"_Yes_, I know where it is, I was just, um, _thinking_ about something else?" What I wanted to say came out more of a question. Rowen snorted while Ryo just snickered. I narrowed my eyes, not in the mood to be made fun of today. "Do you have to make fun of me every time I say something?"

"Yes, we do because you see, Kento, you make me feel better about anything stupid I've ever done," Rowen smirked as he told me that.

"Yeah, Kento, honestly, Rowen makes me feel dumb, and you make me look smart, so I feel normal," Ryo said, only a hint of teasing in his voice now. At least they'd wiped those stupid grins off their faces.

"You two getting your jollies up there, too?" I shouted to Seiji and Cye. Cye turned around, just a regular, good-natured smile on his face.

"You're amusing, I'll say that much," Cye was sincere, and I grinned at my bud. However, Seiji seemed to be ignoring us entirely. What was up with him? That's all I wanted, another person up tight and in a crappy mood. Well, at least the other three guys cheered up, or else I might have ran away because I couldn't take another second of whining misery.

"Here we are," I announced, pointing towards the sign that read Yokohama in bright, golden letters. Seiji opened the door first, and the little bell tinkled as we all walked into the familiar place. I breathed deep the aroma of fresh cooking food on the grill, realizing how loud my stomach rumbled. I scanned the dining room, where most of the ocher tables were full of people busy stuffing their faces and chatting with friends over a cup of tea.

"Rinfi! You've got customers!" I hollered as I walked up to the counter and gave a shout, which seemed to remotely shock Seiji. However, in no time, a petit girl, just about five feet tall with a sturdy frame came bustling out front. She wiped her ash black hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ears. I grinned at first, seeing my little sister in the restaurant uniform, but then I gaped in astonishment, realizing she was wearing the tag the said Manager.

"What? They made _you_ manager?" I gasped and stared dumbfounded at Rinfi. I reached out to take the tag, but she slapped my hands.

"Of course they did, but just of this restaurant, not any others in the chain," Rinfi clarified.

"They gave you my job?" I asked in pure astonishment. How could my parents have given my job to her? She was barely fifteen!

"You moved out, so I got your job," Rinfi said bluntly, and then turned to the guys. "I'm Rei Fuan Rinfi, sister of Kento Rei Fuan, although I'm some what embarrassed to be right now, after that stunt," Rinfi said with a gracious bow.

"Date Seiji," Seiji returned her bow promptly.

"Mouri Cye." Cye didn't miss the polite bowing, either.

"Hasiba Rowen, and I'm sorry for your suffering." Rowen bowed, trying to suppress another devilish smirk. I grumbled under my breath, swearing I'd do something to him later.

"Sanada Ryo, and I'm sorry if we clean you out of food," Ryo said as he bowed, too.

"Pleased to meet you all," Rinfi sounded calmer now, and she looked at all of us before saying, "Would you like something to eat?"

"How about egg rolls, hamburgers, and French fries for everyone!" I said, delighted I finally got to feed myself. "I was manager, so it's on the house."

"Sure," Rinfi muttered and sighed in defeat, flinging up her hands. "It'd be like paying yourself, anyway, I guess, since you are part of the family. Please take a seat, and we'll bring out your food."

"See? Prime service," I told the guys as I slid in a booth by a window. Cye and Ryo slid in on the same side as I did, while Rowen and Seiji sat opposite of us. We put our groceries on the floor under the table, but out of the way of our feet, hopefully.

"So, she's your sister?" Ryo asked me. I nodded, causing Rowen to just raise his eyebrows. "She seems brighter than you."

"Hey! She's not that smart!" I protested. At the moment, Rinfi walked over to the table, carrying food. I beamed up at her, stretching my lips as far as they'd go into a huge smile.

"Come off it and just take the food. I know that's all you want," Rinfi snapped, putting the plates down in front of us.

"Thank you, sweet sis," I called to her as she started to walk away.

"Funny how nice you are after I've fed you!" Rinfi shouted back.

"Wa-wa-wa uh-huh-uh," I made a whiny noise and then stuck my tongue out at her. Ryo snorted, while Rowen and Cye just shook their heads, already starting to eat their food. I followed suit and downed my food, too.

(Rowen)

The wind whipped our backs, driving an unusual chill during spring right into us. I shivered and pulled my uniform coat around me as we trudged up the gravel drive with our stomachs full and our arms loaded with grocery bags. We'd spent nearly an hour at Kento's restaurant, and now, it was getting dark, the last tinges of crystal blue left in the sky disappearing below the horizon.

"Why did we walk?" Kento mumbled from behind me. I strode up along Seiji, who hadn't said a lot except that we weren't taking the bus since we left the Rei Fuan restaurant.

"Because," I told Kento off-handedly. He kicked stones at me, which didn't really hurt anyway. We plunged our way up the driveway in silence for a little while longer. The hyper mood from the grocery store had worn off a bit, probably aided by the wind.

"Really, we should have just cashed out for the bus," Ryo sighed as he walked up beside me. However, a grin spread over his face. "Of course, then I wouldn't have gotten that quality opportunity to race you up the hill."

"Congratulations on finally smashing the eggs," Seiji's grumbling was very bitter and getting progressively worse as the day progressed. I looked at Ryo, who just shrugged, obviously not being able to decipher Seiji's mood, either. I'd tried, honestly, ever since school had ended to figure out what had crawled under his skin. I thought he'd like the grocery store thing for sure, but no, he wasn't amused in the slightest bit. I decided I'd have to dig in the vaults of rare tricks to pull him out of this slump.

"Come on, cheer up, your day couldn't have been that bad! Sing with me!" I pleaded with Seiji, wrapping my arm around his neck. I looked up, realizing we'd just come into sight of the manor. Seiji didn't seem amused and just pulled the keys from his mailbag.

"No, Rowen, don't sing, ever," Seiji snapped at me. I spun Seiji's face towards mine, looking into the irritated, crystal blue eyes of my friend. "Don't do it!"

"HEEY. . . HEY BABY! I WANNA KNOW, OH OH! IF YOU'LL BE MY GIRL!" I belted out a line. Kento clutched his stomach in a fit of laughter.

"HEYYYYY! HEY HEY BABY! I WANNA KNOOOOOOW! IF YOU'LL BE MY GIRL!" Ryo echoed another line, skipping around the house. "HEY . . . !"

"I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU MINE ALL MINE!" I skipped a couple words I didn't remember. "HEY! HEY HEY BAAABY! I WANNNA KNOW, OH OH! IF YOU'LL BE MY GIIIIRL!"

"HEYY! HEYY HEYY BAAAAABY! I WANNA KNOOOOOOOW IF YOU'LL BE MY GIIIIIIIIIRL!" Ryo and I chorused the last part, if that could be considered a chorus.

Kento rolled on the ground, face red with laughter. Cye and Seiji slumped down by each other, howling in pain. I fell down, collapsing with laughter along with Ryo.

"You . . . four . . . are the biggest . . . idiots," Cye howled.

"The . . . coolest . . . fools ever!" I said as I clutched my side.

"You know . . . it," Ryo barely got out the words through his hysterics. He wiped tears out of his eyes.

"Wow!" Kento steadied himself, trying to get up, but falling back down.

"Let's never do this again," Seiji calmed down enough to speak without giggling. "I mean, the singing part, too, along with being absolutely obnoxious to each other. We've probably smashed half of the groceries."

"Sure," I replied calmly, glad Seiji was feeling normal. "Whatever, Seiji. Don't worry about crap like that, I've got your back."

"That's what scares me," Seiji laughed, reaching for the keys and unlocking the door. The house was silent, and Seiji flipped on the lights, and I trudged upstairs to throw my homework in the room Seiji and me shared. I bounded down the steps, peeking down at the answering machine.

"We've got calls," I announced as I pressed the little playback button.

"3:45 p.m.," the machine reiterated in a monotone voice. "This is Mia, checking up on you. If you're not here, you're getting groceries. I won't be stopping by the rest of week, so be good. End of message. 4:23 p.m. Cye, this is N'kedi, and I just called to ask if you'd tutor a student because I don't have time. End message. 5:04 p.m. Hi! Lily just calling to talk to Cye, and Ryo, Nilla is very upset, so yeah, I just called to say hello, but you aren't home. I didn't know you and Cye were roomies, imagine that! Anyway, I didn't understand a bunch of homework either, but if you . . . End message. End of messages."

"Thank god," Kento muttered. "I can't believe Lily found out we're all here. You better call her, Cye."

"No," Cye replied shortly. "I really, really don't need any more of her than I get at school. She hangs all over me, and it's just not pleasant."

"Poor Cye, with his drooling girlfriend," Kento said with a fake pout. Cye shook his head and walked into the kitchen and began to put away the groceries. I went upstairs and decided now would be the opportune time to begin my homework. I grabbed the books and meandered back downstairs to the table, where Seiji sat, already pouring over a French book and a French to Japanese dictionary as he tried to push his language limits to trilingual.

"TV time!" Kento declared as he trod into the den. Cye finished putting away the groceries and picked up the phone and dialed N'deki's number. He left the room and followed Kento into the den. Just then, an obnoxious noise that sounded like a dying animal began.

"That's the trombone playing from hell," Seiji muttered as he tried to concentrate on his work. I smirked as the speech from the TV joined the din. "How did Ryo get into the orchestra?"

"I think they're just desperate," I said with a shrug. I stopped talking, however, focusing more intently on the Calculus problem in front of me. During the discord, I managed to finish a couple more problems, but then, the phone rang again.

"Get that!" I hollered. The ringing continued several times, and I felt irritated that Kento couldn't get off his butt and pick up the receiver.

"Hello?" Cye said politely, finally ending the ringing. "Kento, it's Sean."

"Who?" Seiji asked.

"Kento's one friend," I said off-handedly, trying to finish my Calculus before anyone else called, especially if Nilla or Lily decided to make a surprise call. Then, just as it seemed the phone just rang, the _bring_, _bring_ was heard again throughout the house.

"Hello?" Cye answered the phone again. "Oh, hi Mia, yeah, we're okay. We got your groceries."

I tuned out Cye as he recounted the life at the manor for her. I finally managed to finish Calculus right as Cye clicked the off button on the phone. I picked up my books to take them back upstairs. I flicked on the light, which illuminated the room Seiji and I shared.

Rock posters hung all over my side, while Seiji's wall remained clean and bare. A little bonsai tree grew on the windowsill, which Seiji asked me to clean off for his tree. The sprawl on my side of the room ended right below the windowsill, and the soft, ash colored carpet became visible on Seiji's side. Along the door, crates of books were stacked on each other, all of them containing the library Seiji and I started. We kept our favorites or the ones that were yet unread in the top crate.

I deposited my books, shuffled through the top crate, grabbed _The_ _Fellowship_ _of_ _the_ _Ring_, which I'd read so many times I'd lost count, and ambled back into the hallway. Then, the phone rang again, and with a groan, I picked it up.

"Damn it, Ryo, I'm sick of it! Nilla, Lily, and I aren't the only ones who feel this way!" Lee said on the other end of the phone, his voice full of venom.

"Lee, you don't know . . . " Ryo said tersely.

"Yeah, I do know. You blew me off all summer, regardless if I was on vacation or not. Now, you come back, and BAM! You have some new punk ass friends?" Lee replied ruthlessly.

"Lee, you don't know what you're saying. You don't even know Rowen, and you've been . . . " Ryo said, his voice weary, as if defending me was a chore.

"Yeah, and you set Nilla up, and he broke her heart! Nilla is my friend, and I thought she was yours, too," Lee accused Ryo, his voice unyielding. I felt anger well up inside, making me sweat slightly.

"She is my friend," Ryo groaned. "It all went down bad with tons of misunderstandings that . . . "

"HE BROKE HER HEART!" Lee shouted. "I don't care, Ryo, you need to stand up for Nilla, or I know I'll stand for her! She's hurt like I've never seen her, and you've been too caught up in this new friend to care!"

"You're talking crap," Ryo's voice became brittle and meek against Lee's brutal assaults.

"No, Ryo, that selfish dick is taking priority over life-long friends. It's either that punk transfer loser from that prep school who's too good for his briefs, or us. I can't stand that know-it-all-bastard, he pisses me off, and I hardly see him! He thinks he's so . . . "

"Rot in hell, too, bastard!" I screamed into the phone, slamming it down. Only several times had I been this angry, and I used my armor those times. "LEE IS GOING TO DIE!"

"Rowen!" Ryo hollered up from the bottom of the stairs where he met me. "He . . ."

"Don't go there!" I bellowed as I shoved Ryo out of the way, pushing him on his butt, storming into the living room, livid with anger. My blood pressure skyrocketed, and I screamed out again. "THAT BASTARD!"

"What?" Seiji shouted as he followed me into the living room, and Cye and Kento turned off the TV, looking at me, worry in their eyes.

"Ryo's little friend called me a couple choice words over the phone!" I accused Ryo, unable to control myself.

"They're . . ." Ryo began to speak, but I cut him off.

"No, Ryo your friends hate me! Hear _that_? Understand _that_?" I shouted into his face as he scowled.

"Rowen, shut up!" Seiji commanded me as he got between us before I could take another step towards Ryo, whose eyes began to smolder with pent-up rage.

"Lee called Ryo up to talk trash about me and how_ I_ was the cause for every freaking problem he's having this year! _Apparently_, it's either me or THEM!" I told Seiji, whipping around to stare in his face. Seiji gazed at me, both looked weary and frustrated, not his usual calm, serene self.

"No," Kento said, sympathizing with me. His face went dumb and a slight anger came into his voice. "Aw, man, I always hated that Lee! Dude, he can't tell you to butt out! He doesn't own us!"

"That's not . . . " Ryo began to speak again, his voice terse and irritated now.

"Ryo, that _is_ what he said!" I yelled and glared over at Ryo, cutting him off again. "You heard him, and _you supported him_!"

"I DID NOT!" Ryo screamed at the top of his lungs, his eyes lighting up with livid rage. "If _you_ were _listening_ so well, you know I didn't support him! He wouldn't even let me speak, just like YOU!"

"That's enough!" Seiji screamed.

"No, Seiji, you've been having problems, too, with people at this school," I glared at Seiji, and he frowned, knowing where I was going.

"The thing with Lee and Nilla is a BIG misunderstanding," Seiji tried to sound calm, but his voice rose in defense. "It's not their fault."

"Why? Because they're not jocks, Seiji, is that why they get off easy? If Lee was a big jock, you'd be all over him," I planted the blame on Seiji, too, knowing he'd been with Lee, too. Seiji's face went blank, and he stumbled around for words. "See? So, you hate jocks, like Kento's friends, and I hate Lee."

"_My_ friends haven't done anything to you!" Kento hollered as he rose from the couch, protesting. "They've been nice and everything!"

"Not to Seiji!" Ryo shouted at Kento. "If Lee and my friends get blamed, so do yours! I know Bahkura, and he's been bullying Lee and me since middle school!"

"If _your_ friends weren't pricks, Bahkura would leave them alone! Lots of people pick on him because he's stupid!" Kento hollered. He and Ryo cut through Seiji and me, glaring each other down. Then, I realized things had gotten out of control and gone beyond my grip.

"As I recall, you weren't the nicest person to our little social class!" Ryo growled as his eyes seared into Kento.

"Your lame friends always snubbed _us_ up because we weren't 'good' enough for their smarts!" Kento's voice shook my head with his booming accusation. "Your friends are messing up _all of our lives_, except _yours_, of course, because YOU'RE JUST ONE OF THEM!"

I jumped back as Kento and Ryo tackled each other, rolling across the living room floor. I heard Kento's fist hit Ryo, and Ryo kicked back, and they began rolling, knocking over the coffee table and a couple of chairs. Seiji and Cye rushed into the melee, grabbing Kento, and I hooked Ryo's arms.

"SCREW YOU, RYO!" Kento bellowed in pure rage as he stood up, glaring at Ryo, until Seiji and Cye managed to calm him down enough to move him back behind the TV.

"SCREW YOU, TOO!" Ryo hollered as he broke free from my weak grasp on him and stormed up to his room. Kento yelled at Seiji and Cye, and Cye followed Kento upstairs to make sure he went to their room before coming back down.

"Well, that was _fun_," Cye said wearily and looked as exhausted as he sounded. "Let's see, _Rowen_, where this has landed us."

"Blaming me, now?" I said stiffly and raised myself up to full height, replying to Cye's accusations. "It wasn't my fault to make loser friends like Lee."

"Kitchen," Cye said sternly and motioned Seiji and me into the kitchen. "We definitely have a problem, mostly because we don't know Ryo and Kento's old friends, and they really don't know each other."

"Sounds like they have a history," Seiji stated the obvious. He frowned, as if knowing how messy this could get. "I think they know each other well enough, and Kento's friends aggravated Ryo's friends."

"Funny, it sounded the opposite to me," I replied caustically and glared across the table at Seiji. "I think you have a preference."

"If I do, you most certainly are biased to Kento's friends," Seiji spat. "Just because Lee ticked you off . . . "

"No, just because they blame me for everything horrible that ever happened, including taking Ryo away from them, but he never left, did he?" I stated, hoping to grate Seiji's nerves a little because I certainly wasn't apologizing. "That's why I hate them."

"Kento's friends haven't been all nice and accepting to me, Rowen," Seiji shot back. "They've been targeting me because they think I'm out to steal all their girls, just today, they decided tripping down a couple flights of stairs might be entertaining."

"Shut up," Cye snapped. "Listen, I haven't even met Kento's friends, and Ryo's friends definitely have their flaws and talents, so honestly, I'm biased to neither. I think all of us should meet all of them tomorrow."

"No," Seiji and I both answered at the same time.

"Cye, that _is the recipe_ _for disaster_, you know. They seem to mix like oil and water," Seiji stated, leaning across the table towards Cye. "I'm supporting peace, but . . ."

"But I think we own it to Kento and Ryo to help smooth this over, or at least cover it up," Cye said with finality. "Maybe you two would be okay to just 'let them deal' on their own, but I'm not going to accept that solution. Maybe you'd be perfectly happy splitting company, but I'm not, because I'm new, and I don't have any other friends."

That shut both of us up quickly. I frowned, feeling a pang of guilt for Cye, who I remembered had never gone to school in Japan before, and I felt guiltly for loosing my temper. Cye did put up with a lot of crap from us, but meeting Ryo's friends wasn't something I wanted to do, all the same.

"Okay, we'll do it," Seiji blurted out. I stared over at Seiji and gave him a stare that asked if he really, really wanted to put us through this torture.

"Fine, fine, we'll seal our fates tomorrow and cause a cataclysmic reaction in the school when this goes down," I agreed grudgingly.

"Just don't tell Kento and Ryo tonight, so they can't call anyone up before tomorrow morning. We'll tell them tomorrow morning, and we'll need to leave earlier," Seiji replied and stared at Cye and me directly in the eyes. "Rowen, you'll actually need to wake up tomorrow."

July 2007

A/N: I redid some dialogue and to make it fit the character's personalities. I realized Rowen got too angry, so I down sized some of his rage, but I liked the earlier writings with Rinfi and Kento. I think that Rinfi's introduction was great. I tried to down play some of the drama, but I kept the tension flowing because that is still important in this story. Thanks, MorganRay.


	10. Hello

**Hello**

(Cye)

The alarm clock rang in my ear. I moaned, remembering how early this was, but quickly headed to the shower because I was the first one up this morning. I rarely got up first, but today was special, and everyone would need my mostly unbiased opinion. I really wasn't too keen on Lily, but she was still nice, and I'd never met any of Kento's friends, and I had the feeling I'd be a much-needed mediator.

"Morning," I said, trying to be perky as I passed Seiji on my way downstairs. Seiji and Rowen stood outside the bathroom. Seiji stretched, and Rowen tried to sleep standing up. I made five bowls of cereal and put bread in the toaster. I sat down, eating fast, slightly nervous about how horrible this could be.

"Ready?" I asked Seiji as he came downstairs first, fully dressed in his uniform. "It needs to be done so that we won't kill each other at Han'a High," I told Seiji, watching him eat his breakfast as I started to put my bowl in the dishwasher. I was talking to reassure myself more than Seiji, though. Rowen bumbled down the stairs, fully dressed with his hair a raggedly, wet blue mop.

"Morning, sunshine," I said cheerily to Rowen, who slumped in his chair, resting his forehead on the table. "Wake up," I told Rowen as I went to the freezer and grabbed an ice cube, which I stuck down his back. Rowen yelped, pulling the block of ice out of his shirt. He glared at me.

"Not funny," Rowen muttered and began to munch his food when Kento thundered down the stairs, shortly followed by Ryo. Everyone ate in silence. Seiji looked up at me and gave the nod to reveal the little plan. I swallowed my nerves and began to speak.

"Guys, I think we need to meet all of your close friends," I began hesitantly. Kento and Ryo stared up at me. "I think all of us, Kento's friends, and Ryo's friends need to get together in a secluded spot outside the school."

"Hell, Cye, that's a retarded idea," Kento murmured. I grabbed Kento's food, making him whine, but he looked up at me.

"We're doing it. You'll get together your mates, and Ryo will gather his, and we'll meet outside of school before it starts. Got it? Kento, I've never met any of your friends, and it'd be fair if we all just got to know first names."

"Would make for better fights," Ryo muttered. Rowen smacked him upside the head, making Kento snort.

"Let's go," Seiji said quickly before another arguement started. We trudged down the driveway, and the air remained still, which let the fog settle around us. The mist seemed only to deepen the silence, which was very eerie, and I don't know if we were ever this quiet. Well, maybe after our last fight with Talpa, when we sat alone in the living room of the mansion directly after the battle. Mia suggested we talk about it, and we got out about a sentence each because the scars were still fresh. Even now, they still burned in my mind.

I shivered and a chill shot down my spine that had nothing to do with the damp morning. I forgot how terrible that battle had been, and I stared at my bare arm. Small, mostly fading scars covered my arm. The funny thing was, no one could see them but me. Seiji and Kento could always squint and find two of the larger ones, but to them, they were only faintwhite lines. Emotional scars that the power of the armor hid from others where the other scars.

We boarded the bus, and I sat alone as Kento, Ryo, and Rowen nodded off for a brief nap before we reached the school. I gazed out the window at cloudy Tokyo as we wound our way down the streets and headed for the school. When we arrived, I roused Ryo, who sat behind me, and Kento, who'd sat opposite of me. Seiji shook Rowen, who'd sat with him.

"I hope you're going to behave," I asked Rowen. He raised his eyes.

"If Lee gives me some more crap, no, I'm beating his ass," Rowen muttered under his breath to me. I rolled my eyes and frowned, watching the crowd stream past like phantoms in the fog.

"Go get them, we'll wait over here," I told Ryo and Kento as I pulled Seiji and Rowen over to a group of trees that seemed to stand out as vague, gray-green shapes in the over cast morning. Rowen leaned against the rough trunk of one of the trees as Seiji and me patiently waited. First to appear in the fog were Tomo and Akio, who looked apprehensively around as if expecting to be mugged.

"Morning, Cye?" Akio greeted me good morning, but was so nervous it came out as a question. "You're Rowen?" Akio asked tentatively to Rowen, who also nodded.

"This is Hashiba Rowen," Seiji began the introduction with Tomo and Akio. Akio bowed shakily in front of Rowen, who nodded deftly until Seiji elbowed him to return Akio's bow.

"I'm Akua Akio, and this is my twin, Akua Tomo," Akio's voice trembled as he gestured towards the glaring Tomo. I frowned slightly as Rowen shook both of their hands. "Ryo said you were a friend of his?"

"Yeah, I'm new, but I think you've heard of me," Rowen replied tartly. I shot a glare and pleaded with him to behave himself.

"Yes, Nilla told us," Tomo's tone was sour. "Cye, Lily actually wants to talk to you, too." Akio frowned, and I realized he was slightly angry with this subject. He adverted his eyes, and I watched a blush come over his face.

"Yeah, well, there's been some trauma," Rowen spoke up. "You might want to talk to your buddy Lee about it."

"Nilla said you were a jerk," Tomo said resolutely. I watched it go from shaky to terrible when Tomo spoke. Rowen raised his eyebrows, and I shot him another look and begged him to stop.

"Well, that was a weird situation," Rowen replied coldly. "I suggest _you_ get the facts straight."

"Are _you_ calling my friend a liar?" Tomo snapped at Rowen.

"Hey!" I shouted, breaking up the tense moment as Kento and a tall, thin black kid strolled out of the fog and into view. Thank gods, just in time to stop Rowen from retorting to Tomo. Everyone stared, looking at them, and a distinct look of annoyance came over Tomo's face, and Akio blanched.

"Hey, guys, this is Sean Johnson," Kento introduced his tall, lanky friend. "Sean, this is Mouri Cye, Date Seiji , Hashiba Rowen, Akua Akio, and Akua Tomo."

"Hey brother!" Sean shouted and went to give me a high five, and I hesitantly returned the gesture. Rowen and Seiji each managed a bow, but Seiji's bow remained short and curt, and for Seiji, I knew this was being impolite. "Show me some love!" Sean called to Akio and Tomo to give him a high five. Akio held up his hand and pretended to enjoy Sean's company, while Tomo flatly refused.

"Sorry, low on love this morning," Tomo's voice remained flat. I frowned, walking forward to Sean.

"I'm Cye, and I'm new to this school," I told Sean pleasantly and smiled at the tall black kid. He grinned back, very friendly towards me. It was a change from everyone else's mood.

"Yeah, brother, Kento told me about you. Did you have problems with Japanese, too?" Sean asked. I shrugged and shook my head.

"No, I was born here, so I know quite a lot of Japanese," I told Sean, who frowned slightly.

"I still struggle because I can't speak either language well," Sean said, laughing again in that good-natured way. "I've gotten better, though, and man, I best Kento at English! He's got nothing on me!"

Sean chuckled, while I just smiled forcefully, trying to relax in the presence of a moody Tomo, Rowen, and Seiji. I loved the break in the depressing mood, and Kento seemed at ease in Sean's company, and he might open up to Ryo's mates before the meeting was over if the mood remained even this decent.

"I haven't see you two around much," Sean looked over to Rowen and Seiji. "I mean, I met you at lunch, Rowen, but you're not in my class."

"Really?" Seiji replied sarcastically, and I felt my hope pop like a balloon. Seiji raised his eyes and walked closer to Sean. "Well, I guess I just have a good memory, but I do remember you."

"Where?" Sean said as he scratched his head. Kento shot a quick look at Seiji, pleading with him not to say anything awkward.

"In the hallway, in general, with your friends, maybe passing on the stairs" Seiji replied in mock politeness as he emphasized the stairs. Sean shrugged, taking another look at Seiji.

"Sean, every girl in this school has a crush on him," Tomo replied a little flatly. Sean's eyes widened, and he pointed at Seiji, nodding. Suddenly, Sean flushed like Akio had and looked away from Seiji towards Kento.

"OH, you're that guy! Wow, sorry, I didn't hear a name with the rumor or anything, but _man_, wow, do you know how many girls want a date with you? I mean, I don't see guys that way, so maybe I didn't notice when I met you, but _man_!" Sean forced a couple laughs, realizing he'd bullied Seiji, and he appeared flustered. Seiji pursed his lips, and I felt the situation slide down a very icy path.

"Gee, this if fun," Kento said with forced enthusiasm as he rubbed his hands in a nervous gesture. "So, I see we've all mostly heard of each other."

"Yeah," I spoke as I saw a girl with long, ebony hair, like a shadow walk towards us, accompanied by a husky boy.

"We're here, buddy, this better be good," the husky boy said as he approached with the girl and looked around, obviously not pleased with the company.

"This is Hokib Bahkura ," Kento introduced the husky kid, "and this is Mioji Kaede."

"Hi," the beautiful, voluptuous girl introduced herself. She bowed politely, and I returned the gesture. Then, she held out her hand for me to shake it. As I did, I met her lively eyes, which made me blush because she fixed them on me as if to undress me. "Kento, you need to start introducing your friends."

"Oh," Kento replied dumbly and laughed. "This is Mouri Cye, Date Seiji , Akua Akoi, and Akua Tomo, and you've met Rowen."

"Ah, Date Seiji," Kaede said fondly as she grinned as Seiji. Seiji looked uncomfortable, but gave her a courteous bow, never the less. Kaede shot him a coquettish look, which caused Seiji to stare pointedly at the dewy leaves on the tree. "I've heard tons about you. You're not bad in person, I must say, but," the vixen said with a voice like silk. "Oh well, never mind."

"Can we stop talking about Seiji?" Tomo snapped. He was almost growling at everyone now, his eyes dangerously narrow. Akio stood there, staring off into space, subdued into silence.

"Shut it, punk, and don't you talk to Kaede like that," Bahkura growled harshly and threatened Tomo by stepping forward, towering above the skinny boy. "Hear me?"

"Boys, we don't need to kill each other," Kaede reminded them calmly as she leaned against the tree, staring at her manicured nails, then shooting us a teasing grin. "It's fine, boys, just drop your testosterone levels."

"Tell _them_ that," Rowen said as he smirked. Sean and Bahkura chuckled at Kaede's joke, but no one else looked amused. I clenched my jaw, staring at everyone. Kento clapped his hands once, stepping forward, trying to break some tension.

"So, do we need an ice breaker game or something?" Kento suggested and stared around, grinning stupidly.

"I'll pass," Rowen replied blandly. "Sounds like third grade fun, but I'll pass."

"Morning," Ryo yelled, his voice a bit too strained. Nilla, Lee, and Lily followed Ryo towards the group, and my stomach turned realizing how awkward things really could become. Lily waved to me and gave me a giddy smile as she sprinted over. Lee looked pissed, as did Nilla, but Lily seemed oblivious to the fact that the mood took a nosedive into the negatives.

"This is Xailong Nilla, Tabiki Lee, and Jukuto Lily." Ryo's introductions were brief, and only Lily did the proper bowing. Both Lee and Nilla stood like statues in a mausoleum.

"Um, I take it we all know each other," Kento replied hesitantly at the understatement. Rowen snorted as Kento fumbled for words under the intense silence that made the very air feel like it was going to collapse around us.

"That was fun," Lee said stiffly and turned around to leave. Ryo yanked him by the collar.

"What, do you have a problem?" Rowen spat as he took a couple steps towards the sour faced Lee. "Come on, Lee, do you need to talk it out?"

"No talking required," Nilla replied sharply and gave Rowen and Kaede a deathly cold stare.

"Gee, princess, I didn't know you felt that way," Kaede's voice turned into a serrated knife as she walked away from the tree. She strolled up to the shorter Nilla, staring down into her eyes. They stood there, scowling at each other.

"Ryo, I'm wasting my time," Nilla snapped. She turned to Ryo and shouted, "Not only is Rowen here, but you knew she'd be here, didn't you? Ryo, I loathe her, and you know it!"

"Stop it!" Kento's temper snapped as he growled at Nilla and got up in her face. "Back off! He didn't do anything to you!"

"Shove it," Lee spat as he stood in front of Nilla. "I'm sick of all of you, personally, and I don't know why I came here, so go screw yourselves!"

"You better take that back before . . ." Bahkura growled, walking up to Lee.

"You can't finish a sentence, how touching," Tomo added sarcastically from behind me. My stomach flipped as the disaster began to unfold all around me.

"Don't rip on my friends!" Sean defended Bahkura and pushed Tomo up against the tree. Akio ran to his brother's aid, but he looked pathetic as he tried to wrench Sean away from Tomo.

"Back off!" Lee screamed as Bahkura picked him up, getting ready to throw him on the ground. Nilla swung a punch, connecting with Kento's cheek. Kaede slammed Nilla into the tree as the girls began to fight. Lily shrieked, running over to Nilla.

"STOP IT!" Seiji and Rowen hollered as they moved, running to the middle of the brawl. I stood, transfixed, watching the fight unfold before my wide eyes.

"Shut it!" Bahkura hollered and smacked Seiji in the eye before he could react. Rowen's eyes widened, and he ran forward, just in time for Lee to turn and kick him in the nuts.

"Bastard!" Kento shouted and smashed Lee with a couple punches, putting him on the damp ground. Ryo pulled Lily off Kaede, trying to keep her from screaming, but it ended in Lily turning around and vomitting on the ground. I frowned, seeing a mob of people start to come over at the shouting. We were going to get caught.

"Nilla! Stop it!" Ryo ordered and held Lily up as she threw up again on the grass. Kaede threw Nilla to the ground, and Nilla slammed her in the gut. Kaede yanked Nilla's auburn hair, and she clawed at Kaede's face.

"Don't mess with my brother!" Akio feebly yelped as he and Tomo double-teamed the athletic Sean, and they tried hitting him low, but Sean had already caused Akio and Tomo a broken lip each, and Tomo's nose started to bleed after the last punch.

"Oh bloody hell," I whispered as people began to watch. "STOP IT! We're going to get expelled! People are coming over!"

I rushed into the melee, managing to help Ryo pull apart a couple of the fighting pairs. However, Lee looked up, deciding the fight wasn't worth it, grabbed Lily and Nilla ,and bolted. I spun around and pried Sean free from Akio and Tomo, but got a bloody nose. "We're going to get in trouble!" I shouted at Sean, who looked around and realized people had gathered.

"Dang!" Sean muttered hoarsely as he charged through the mob. I stared around, looking for Rowen, Kento, Ryo, or Seiji, but all of them had disappeared. I gaped at the crowd that was whispering and staring around where the brawl just occurred.

"What?" I asked helplessly to no one in particular. Now, I was the only one standing in the circle of people, with vomit and some blood sprinkled on the ground.

"That's what I was just going to ask you." I spun around as Ms. Smith spoke from behind me. "Fighting is illegal on school grounds, Mr. Mouri. Can you explain what happened? You're sporting a nice set of black eyes and a bloody nose."

"I, well, some people weren't getting along," I stammered, not wanting to implicate my friends.

"I assume you were one of them?" Ms. Smith said crossly.

"Well . . ." I stuttered, not knowing exactly how to respond. I'd been getting along, but telling her it wasn't me wouldn't be much help.

"Come with me, Mr. Mouri," she ordered me to follow her into the school. I felt my stomach sink, realizing nothing about this could be good. "I personally am ashamed of you, and I regret to say they're be disciplinary action."

A/N: July 2007 Yeah! Revision is coming along, and the next chapter is going to get hacked up, unlike this one, which stayed pretty much the same as the origanal. I kept the fight mostly the same, but I added Lily throwing up (see chapter 20 for why). Thanks, MorganRay.


	11. Lonely Corner of the World

**Lonely Corner of the World**

(Sekhmet)

No sun seeped through an impenetrable layer of thick, gray sky. Once there might have been light, sky, and growth where a barren wasteland now spread. Gray, ashy earth stretched as far as one mortal eye could see or for an entire day a hawk might fly.

Ruinous craters sunk into the earth, dark splotches stained the ash, and crumbled ruins lay scattered across the plains. No water washed across the parched land, and a hazy cloud hung over the earth. I looked at the dismal surroundings as I crossed the cracked ground around the dojo that looked like a tree shoot growing out of a dead stump.

A small, green tiled roof outlined the building that huddled at the edge of a huge heap of rubble. The old, crumbled remains of the castle appeared a hundred times larger than our little dojo, the only building that contained life in this gray world. The skeletal stones, once part of the great palace, lay lifeless beside the breathing manor.

The Netherworld might have been a lovely place, but I certainly didn't remember it that way. When it had ended, this dark miasma came in and settled over the land, and the honey sky had been covered in this thick mist since. In fact, I'd helped it turn from a barren plain with dead grasses striving to grow to an abyss where nothing lived at all. I'd poisoned the land, oh, the irony of it.

Outside the dojo, in the opposite direction of the castle, where the ground sloped upwards a tiny bit, sat a tiny wooden building that looked about the size of a little storage building, barely even a shack. However, I knew Kayura built a meditating house there, and in the wee hours of the morning, when sleep didn't enjoy my company, I sought her.

Kayura, the only woman I'd never hurt. She'd been forbidden, which is why I'd never touched her, although I'd certainly dreamed about it. Now, the only good thing Talpa did for me was outlaw Kayura as an object of pleasure.

I paused as I began to climb the hill. There was hardly a difference between night and dark, but now that Talpa left, the honey color disappeared from the sky. When the sky burned that color, it seemed to nurture life back into the earth, and that color was natural here. Now, it held the tint of lifeless gray, as if all life had been robbed out of it.

I flinched, knowing I'd robbed her. I'd stolen something from her, just because she reminded me of the girls in my village who'd laughed at me when I was little. The memories of being shunned because of how I was born scarred my mind, the knowledge that I was my mother's curse. She'd had the child with the blood of a snake, so she'd inadvertently done something evil and immoral, and therefore became an outcast.

I found my resolution and strode up to the door of the shrine and knocked. In a moment, Kayura opened the door and beckoned me inside. "These nights are troublesome to all," she said softly, and I nodded deftly.

"Cleaning your conscious, too," I replied as Kayura shut the door. She smiled ruefully at me, knowing exactly what I meant. "Do you have enough time to help me scrub mine?"

"Some," Kayura's voice indicated that she had all the time I'd allow her. The Ancient staff stood upright and quiet in the middle of the room. Kayura took a seat on a mat behind the staff, and I sat on its opposite side.

"I've raped a lot of women," I told Kayura hoarsely, and my voice cracked when I said raped. Yes, it was what I had done. I had forced them to love me, usually by giving them enough drugs to do so without fighting back.

She sat there, waiting for me to continue to speak. I swallowed the stone in my throat, realizing my mouth had gone inexplicably dry. I wet my lips, trying to speak to Kayura again. I found my voice and whispered, "I did not give her drugs."

I had wanted her too badly awake and active to give her anything at all. Her very livelihood and unmarred youth drew me towards her. I couldn't bear to sedate her in anyway, so I could savor her youth, and now, the thought haunted my sleep along with the memory. Oh gods, her eyes chased me when I tried to sincerely rest. The worst had been that she had been so calm at the beginning and so willing to follow me.

"I . . . I needed her," I told Kayura and felt my shame grow. I needed her love that my village, clan, and all other women, even my own mother, denied me. I had taken what she alone had the right to give, and after four hundred some years, I had finally learned I could not force real love. I could force the act of love making, but never the genuine article.

"She has no memory," Kayura said reassuringly. "There are only seven who remember back in the mortal world, Sekhmet. The powers of the Ancient cleaned their minds."

"I pray it is so," I whispered and met Kayura's midnight blue eyes. She smiled sorrowfully at me and nodded her head in agreement.

"We all regret things," Kayura told me softly, and I wondered if her sins bit as deep as mine did.

(Cye)

The wind whipped at my hair, the scabby, brown leaves on the anorexic trees groaned, twirling off in the wind. The skies sagged, ready to give way to torrents of rain. Torrents, just torrents of them, and I felt my lips turn up for a second. I'd been sent on my way, told I needed to be at the Foreign Exchange Student Office in an hour. Ms. Smith trusted me to walk there myself, despite all that happened this morning.

'_I'm disapointed in you, Mr. Mouri_,' she told me as we'd entered the school. Since I hadn't gone to school in Japan before, I was told I'd need to get directions on my 'disciplinary action' at the Foreign Exchange Student Office.

"Torrents," I muttered as I took a second to sit down on a bench. I'd pursued my path straight and true for twenty minutes, and now, with a thunderstorm ready to burst, I wanted to relish sitting outside before the rain.

The wind picked up speed, and an involuntary shiver raced through my body, causing me to jump off the bench. I stared up at the trees, the sky, the surrounding buildings, and I only hoped not to see anything. "Who's there?" I whispered, unable to shake the feeling of dread that attacked my mind. Maybe the shock of facing serious disciplinary action was effecting me deeper than I realized.

I walked backwards, looking up at the trees and the rusted bench where I'd just sat. I told myself that there was nothing, just nothing. I failed at fooling myself, turning around to run. I smacked into someone, yelping before falling on the ground.

"Watch it," her deep voice startled me. Forest green eyes, placed in her angular face, with well defined cheekbones, stared down at me. Thick lips pursed in a thin line, and the wind whipped the mass of dark chestnut hair, tied neatly in a pony tail that went down to her mid-back, all across her face.

"Sorry," I apologized quickly as an idea hitting me square in the head. "I'm Mouri Cye."

"Watch where you go," the gigantic woman replied as I stood up. She towered over me, just like Rowen and Seiji, and I'd venture to put her at about at least six feet.

"Sorry, it's just that, it's about to rain, and I thought I heard something," I explained stupidly as she pushed her hair out of her face.

"Yes, your point?" her voice rose in irritation. "I don't appreciate getting wet, either."

"I'm just heading on my merry way to the Foreign Exchange Student Office," I spat it out, realizing I couldn't even go to Kento's family right now.

"I'm from there, right now," she said curtly. I could tell her accent wasn't very clean, and I was placing her in Western Europe, maybe Russia, Croatia, or some of the Baltic countries.

"Oh, okay, so maybe you'd help me find it quickly, then? I have to be there in about half an hour," I explained myself, but her face stayed rigid, even as she nodded. She walked forward, and I followed her quietly.

"Name?" I asked timidly. She turned the corner, and then, I saw the little red building, scrunched up in the mass of Tokyo. I groaned inside mysefl , remembering how it felt, walking into that building for the first time, sitting cooped up in a little room, homesick for London, as I waited to get a host family so I could go to Han'a High. I'd been fortunate that Kento's family took me in their house. I knew I could've stayed with my mum and sister at our estate, but my prep school back in London recommended that my family send me to Han'a High.

"Now, I need to leave," she said curtly and walked up the stairs as the familiar rank smell hit my nose. I walked quietly over to the desk. The older man with frizzy gray hair walked out from another room. He frowned at me as he quickly judged me over, probably labeling me a juvenile delinquent.

"Mouri Cye, well, I thought, after getting a host family, you'd behave," he muttered. "You never seemed like a trouble maker to me, but because of the short span of time you've been here, you've managed to earn yourself a top punishment."

"I wasn't a trouble maker," I protested weakly and fidgeted with the edge of my coat, trying not to let him notice.

"The school says different," he replied blandly, and my stomach dropped. Bloody hell, what was going to happen? "In school, Mr. Mouri, you weren't being a model student. I'm going to contact your host family this afternoon, and I'll tell you right now, they'd better have a good defense for you."

"Defense?" my voice came out hoarse and raspy.

"Yes, you're staying for a week, here, until it's decided if you should continue to stay in Japan or not," he replied staunchly and looked up, squinting and frowning at me. "Take your old room, two thirteen, and I'll put in a call."

"But, but, it's not everyday," I stuttered. He waved me away, but my feet glued themselves to the floor.

"One time says it all," he said stiffly while he waved me upstairs again. "Go sleep or do something useful, and I'll call the school, tell them you're in for a review for deportation."

I forgot how to move, and he ordered me to move again, but I really didn't hear anything he said. Deportation. I might be deported just because of Kento and Ryo's stupid friends. Deported meant no more Ronins, no more brothers, and everything that I'd slowly come to love would be taken away. I'd spent what seemed like my entire life coming to love the guys and Japan.

I fumbled up the stairs and arrived at the end of the second floor hallway. I stared at the scratched up door with thin, almost unreadable numbers saying two thirteen. I turned the knob, walking into the damp room with cobwebs collecting in the corners and spiders chewing on flies contently. I gazed at the murky window, covered with dust and dirt. Had it really been three months since I'd been here last?

I sat dumbly on the stained sheets that had small splatters of food that never washed out on them. The thin mattress gave under my weight, and I almost fell back against the window. I stared at the mirror, which was just as scummy as the window, and the little, two-drawer dresser made of cheap wood, scratched and molding in the corners from too much time in this place.

"You," Zera interrupted my thoughts. I stared up, realizing the door hung wide open. "What did you do?"

"Supposedly fought, but I didn't," I replied weakly as I gazed at the film on the window, wishing I could see outside. I heard the rain begin to patter on the glass. She pursed her lips in irritation.

"A host family, and you screw it up?" She replied irritably as she leaned against the doorframe.

"It's not that easy," I said meekly and glared at her, hoping she'd go away, but she walked into my room.

"I've been here a week, and I'd give limbs to get out of this little hell hole, and you get out, and blow it?" she retorted.

"Shut up," I muttered. She walked forward in three huge steps and moved as if to slap me upside the head. I sat there, waiting to see if she'd actually hit me. Maybe it would bring me back down to reality.

"What selfish idiot are you?" she seethed under her breath as she stood above me like a giant. She shook her head, and I thought she might slap me still, but she turned on her heel and left the room promptly.

"A selfish idiot," I muttered as I gazed dumbly at the now empty doorway. Yes, I was an idiot for trying to make everyone get along, and now, I was alone.

(Seiji)

The class drug on unto lunch came. I sat completely immobilized for several moments, absolutely sure I wasn't going to eat with Ryo and company today. Where would I go? With Kento and his buffoons?

"Seiji, eat with us!" One of the girls called to me from the back of the room.

"No, I've got someone to meet for lunch," I replied hastily as I scurried out of the room to find somewhere to hide for lunch. I ran my hand through my wavy locks as I trudged down the hallway. It was insane, what happened, but the smoldering in the pit of my stomach wouldn't stop.

"Sorry," I muttered before I looked up, bumping into Nakeisha, who rolled her eyes. Again, she wore no makeup, and I noticed the plain dressed girl had no lunch with her. I'd hardly spoken to her all day, and it suddenly occurred to me I didn't know where she ran off to everyday for lunch. "Where are you going?"

"Date, you go find yourself a groupie or something." She kept walking in the direction I'd been generally heading. I trailed her, until she stopped, turning on me again. "Okay, go away. Of all people, why are you following me? I'm not fawning over you, and no, I'm not giving up the right as the only girl that doesn't drool when I see you."

"I just need a place to hang out," I said exasperatedly. "And talk, or just sit, or whatever. Is that too much to ask?"

"Oh, getting sick of the herd?" Nakeisha snapped at me, but as she continued walking, she allowed me to follow her at a distance. I sighed as Nakeisha walked into the art room, wondering if the effort was really worth it. Well, she certainly was preferable to any of the people I'd had a 'friendly discuss' with this morning, including my fellow housemates. "Don't touch anything. Mr. Tacanowa gave me permission to be in here at special times, so if you ruin it, Date, I'll let go of some quality anger and might _accidentally_ hurt you."

"I had no idea you were an artist," I said, ignoring her threat, and sat down on an art table. I began watching her as she pulled out an apron, tied up her hair, and got a box out of a cupboard and started pulling out blobs of wet clay and part of a sculpture.

"Yeah, it's why I came to Japan," she said as she let down her defenses slightly. She began to work on a long string of clay. "I've always loved to paint nature, and about four years ago, when I was thirteen, I got into Japanese gardens and haiku. I took lessons and then wrote a poem about my garden, and then did an oil pastel with it. I won a scholarship if I'd come and school in Japan. That's about the time my dad's company expanded overseas, and we moved."

"That's a lovely sculpture," I replied and cocked my head, gazing at the hydra's head she'd began to attach to the body. "It's a hydra, like the one Hercules fought."

"Yeah," Nakeisha replied and actually smiled, pleased that I knew what she was sculpting. "I'm getting extra credit for it because it's something I wanted to do."

"That's very good for someone our age," I complimented her. She nodded her head, but remained focused on her art work.

"Well, I think I'm one year younger than you. I got moved up a grade when I was still in the States," she replied as she smoothed the neck and body together with some watery clay.

"Oh," I said, genuinely surprised. "I would have never guessed."

"I'm taking extra art classes outside of school," she replied as she finally molded the two body parts into one.

"Hmm," I muttered and immediately thought of how Rowen excelled in school. I bit my tongue, not wanting to mention smart Rowen with his mathematics and sciences. I threw that thought out of thought and out of mind. "I guess you must be your family's shining star."

"Yeah right," she replied caustically. "Are you kidding? It's my brother."

"Your brother?" I asked as I cocked me head. "He must be a genius."

"No," she grumbled. "He's a freaking athletic bomb shell, and all he does is shoot some hoops, and then, BAM! he's got a scholarship, too!"

"Oh, my," I replied hesitantly, unsure of what to say. "That's what always happens, huh? Who is your brother?"

"He's a jock," she groaned. "He made friends in an instant, and there I was, all excited, thinking, 'man this is going to be different,' and BAM! again, no friends, and I'm the artist living on the edge of the socially hip."

"I see. Jocks get all jealous of me because of my 'fan club,' and then, I get pushed down the steps, beat up in the hallway," I opened up my wounds to Nakeisha. Then, I stood up, staring closer at her forming dragon as she began to detail the body with scales.

"Yeah, at first, his friends were cool, and I even had art with one, and then, it slowly fell apart," she muttered, and then, she scowled, which had nothing to do with her concentrating. "And suddenly, they weren't my friends, but his friends, because I wasn't pretty enough or whatever, and now . . ."

"Now?" I asked softly and looked down at Nakeisha as she threw down her tool she was using. "High school is still the same?"

"It's worse," Nakeisha fumed as she leaned back against the window she was working by, throwing the strands of hair out of her face. She began running her hands through her hair, messing it up. "Now I have to put up with Sean ALL THE TIME."

"Sean," I said and felt my stomach go cold and hard. "Oh, I don't see the family relation, except in temper."

"Great, you know him," she grumbled and rested her head in her hands. "I should have never said that. I know he hates you. I saw him . . . trip you."

"You saw that?" I asked deftly.

"Yeah," Nakeisha grudgingly admitted, but still didn't meet my face.

"No, you're not much like him," I reassured her. "We've got to get back. I'll see you here, tomorrow, and I'm not leaving because you're related to Sean, either."

"Sure, Date," Nakeisha replied sharply as she gathered up her materials and packed them back into the closet. I considered helping her, but realized I might get in the way more than actually benefit her. Besides, I didn't want another argument with someone else. I already felt raw and exposed, which were two emotions that disquieted me.

"Let's go, and yes, you have my permission to be my groupie," Nakeisha told me without bitterness as we left the art room. I raised my eyebrows and looked down at the petit black girl.

"I'll accept that offer," I replied, feeling the weight of this morning's melee lift from my chest slightly.

A/N: July 2007: Well, I just did some editting of dialogue and grammar again. It's better now, so thanks for your feedback, MorganRay.


	12. Brothers in Arms

**Brother's in Arms**

(Kento)

The rain thundered down from the huge clouds that hung over the city all day. I plodded along the way to my house, deciding not to go back to the manor. "Kento!" Kaede shouted as she raced up behind me. "Wait! Just calm down, okay?"

"Yeah? Calm down? Sure, Kaede, you're so great at that," I grumbled as I pressed forward, ignoring her.

"It wasn't my fault!" Kaede hollered. "Don't give us trouble that you brought down on yourself!"

"What? I guess you're _oh so loyal_ to Rowen now, huh?" I shouted as Kaede stopped dead in her frantic, splashing run to catch up with me.

"At least he talked to me," she seethed as she turned on her heels and marched the other way. I turned my back on her and hunched down a little bit to get my jacket over my head.

"Freaking rain," I muttered as I hoisted my book bag above my head, too. I felt like this day drug on forever, and home felt so far away. It was about time I go home for once, but this rain was crappy.

"Watch it!" I yelled as a car sped along, splashing water upon my legs. "Freaking moron!"

I spotted a restaurant that I'd eaten at with its huge green sign across the street from where I stood. I usually ate at my family's restaurant, but occasionally visited this place after school. I ran across the street and through a puddle to open the doors that let the warm air filled with the scents of salt and grease to my nose.

The sign said 'seat yourself,' and I took a booth in the corner. The waitress came and placed an order for two burgers, a milkshake, a coke, and an order of fries with gravy. The waitress brought me my coke, and I practically chugged it down in the next few seconds.

"Kento."

"Huh?" I said stupidly as Akio slid into the booth in front of me.

"We need to talk," Akio replied timidly. I groaned as Tomo sulked over at sat beside his brother. I glared daggers at Tomo, but Akio cleared his throat loudly, hoping I'd get the picture he didn't want to wait around all day. Well, too bad for him.

"No," I said stubbornly and crossed my arms, letting the rain seep down my coat onto my back, and as the water soaked my shoes, and I felt my feet squish around inside them. "I don't need your help."

"Talk, Kento, not help," Akio sighed as he pleaded with me. "I'll pay for your meal if you just hear me out, okay?"

"Okay." I decided I wanted a free meal right now more than anything. I decided to put up with Akio and his obnoxious brother to get free food. "What do you want?"

"Ryo flipped out during lunch," Akio said dully as he met my eyes. I jerked my head back at how suddenly forceful this meek boy's stare became.

"So?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent, but I knew I was too interested. "You expect anything less?"

"So, Ryo talked to me," Akio told me in a quiet voice as his brow furrowed and his mouth spread into a thin line. "Kento, please, just tell me, what's going on? I've known Ryo for a long time, and I've known your reputation."

"What? Are you saying this is some sick game?" I yelled at the calm boy, who flinched slightly as a raised my voice. Tomo rolled his eyes and looked away, and I fought the urge to reach across the table and jam my fist into his face.

"No, I'm saying, I've been Ryo's friend longer than most people, including Tomo and Lily," Akio steadied his voice as he continued to talk to me. Sweat beads popped out of his forehead as he fixed me with a frown deeply etched into his face.

"Alright, so we became friends over vacation," I growled. "What's wrong with that?"

"Friends? Kento, real friends?" Akio asked softly and sighed as I slammed my fist into the table. "Don't do that, and please, Kento, is this some joke?"

"Joke! You think I'd joke about friendship!" I roared at Akio, who shrunk back in the seat. "_You _have NO _right_ to be questioning _my_ loyalty!"

"O-okay, Kento, but until now, you snubbed us," Akio stuttered, but he still managed to talk. I felt my face turn red, anger coursing up through me. I wanted my armor on, to bash this whimpering idiot into the ground.

"Listen, I'm not smart, or witty, or anything, but _I_ _don't_ mess with friendship!_ Ryo is like a brother to me_!" I screamed at him as hail the size of a pinhead began to fall from the sky outside the restaurant windows. "_Don't you ever question my loyalty_!"

"Is that so?" Akio said steadily and stared right into my eyes. He appeared unfazed now, yet frustrated, but deeply concerned, and yet, no longer nervous, but calm. "So, this summer, you became real friends? Ryo sure thinks so, and I'd hate if you disappointed _my_ friend."

"He's my friend, too." I felt slightly stunned, after the fights in the past couple nights, that Ryo still stood up for me, for us all. "He . . .he what did he do at lunch?"

"He exploded, almost beat up Tomo and Lee, and verbally pounded Nilla," Akio told me in his quite voice again, and I leaned across the table to hear him. "He meant what he said, Kento, I just want to know that this isn't a game."

"No game," I replied calmly, and sat, simply stunned at Ryo's loyalty. I gazed at the sincere Akio. Why had I always ripped on this guy? He never gave anyone trouble, but he just happened to be a basket case with a moronic brother. "We went through hard times this summer, when Ryo was at home," I told the little lie. "When Rowen, Seiji, and Cye came around, we bonded, and became sort of brothers."

"And that fight, what did that mean?" Tomo cut into the conversation. Yeah, maybe that's why I hated Akio, because of Tomo, even though they didn't look identical, I got confused a lot. It didn't help that Akio seemed to follow his brother like a shadow, too.

"It meant that we had some arguments, and that Cye, Rowen, and Seiji were new, and Ryo and I lived in two different worlds, and maybe, just because we all wanted to be friends," I snapped, and then I sighed and rubbed my throbbing temples. "I don't know."

"Okay," Akio replied timidly as the waitress brought my food. I stuffed the burger into my mouth and started to eat the fries, too. Food, yeah, that was all I needed to calm down right now.

"How much is the bill?" Akio asked politely as Tomo thankfully became silent again. I didn't look up as he paid the waitress, and I felt slightly ashamed I'd made him pay the tab after all.

"Have you really known Ryo that long?" I asked Akio after the waitress left.

"Yes, longer than most," Akio replied as I pulled all the money that I had out of my wallet. I slid it across the table to him. "You know, I would have never thought, you, Kento."

"Yeah, well, same here," I said and squirmed a little in the booth, suddenly feeling whatever mood hung over Akio lift. He smiled slightly, and picked the money up off the table. Tomo scowled and stood up to leave.

"We've got to go," Akio replied as he watched his brother exit the restaurant. "I'll see you around."

"You too," I told him as he rushed after his brother. "Bye!" I shouted and watched him run out the door into to the storm. What did I miss about these people? Well, I didn't miss anything with Tomo. I could care less about him. However, there was so much I probably didn't know, but I knew my friends, or did I? Akio had been friends with Ryo since they were little, and we'd only just met.

I stood up after finishing my milkshake and headed out into the storm myself. I let the rain pound down on me as I trudged to my house. My insides didn't feel right, and I knew I was confused about Akio. Tomo didn't confuse me, I knew where he stood, but the kid Bahkura and I spent time bullying had just offered to buy me a meal and talk something out with me after the melee this morning. No one in his right mind could be that forgiving, or could they?

I arrived at the restaurant, which was right beside our house. I walked inside and stood there as a puddle formed around my feet.

"Kento!" My mom shouted at me as she went back to fetch me a towel. "Get over here! You're so wet!" I walked up the steps, grinning from ear to ear. The phone rang in the background as I entered my room and changed my sopping clothes. I heard my dad running to get it as I dressed in a warm, dry pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

"Hey, I think I'm going to stay here for a while," I told my mom as I walked out of my room. She nodded, not asking anything. It felt good to get away from nosy people.

"Kento," my dad hollered from down the hall, and when he walked towards me, his face appeared stern. "Cye got in a fight?"

"No, well, he was there, but it was really me who did the fighting," I told my parents while staring at my feet in sham. "It was an accidental fight, Dad, nothing too serious. A misunderstanding that's getting fixed, really, I mean it. No one got punished."

"It's not you I'm worried about, Kento," my Dad replied sternly. "Cye is at the Foreign Exchange Student Office. His student visa is being questioned."

"What?" I asked, not quite getting what my dad was saying except that it wasn't good.

"That means he could get deported."

"WHAT!" I bellowed and ran to the phone. "What's the number! I'll give those pieces of crap a piece of MY mind!"

"Kento, calm down," my Mom commanded me and put her hand on my shoulder. I threw the telephone books on the floor. "We're going over tomorrow night, when we get home."

"Now! We have to go now!" I hollered, and somehow, Akio's talk inspired something in me. "We're like brothers, Mom!" She smiled sweetly, patting me on the shoulder.

"Just calm down, Kento, and go up to your room, and I'll get you some food. Study, play video games, but just know Cye's okay tonight, alright?"

"He's going to be deported! That's _not okay_!" I yelled and ran up to my room. Why had I been such an idiot?

(Seiji)

Rain slashed out against the windowpanes, rattling through the manor, echoing in the soundless building. Lightening flashed, illuminating the lifeless manor with more than the faint, sixty-watt bulb in my bedroom. I sighed, leaning against my headboard. I couldn't sleep, even without this storm letting all hell break loose outside.

They probably walked in this rain, but maybe they'd found shelter. I rubbed my temples, unable to extract from my mind the eerie feeling of coming home alone today. I stood up, walking down to the kitchen, flipping on a couple lights to give the manor more life instead of the aura of a mausoleum. The hail struck the building, and the cathedral ceiling of the den and entrance way intensified the sound. I boiled a cup of chamomile tea and added honey, with hope that I'd sleep.

Maybe, but again, this rain hammered too resoundingly against the windows. The dreary weather never suited me, and I felt a pall over my mind because these beautiful spring days were so miserable. I walked over to one of the window panes that appeared a portal into the abyss. As the sky split with light, I saw that water flowed in little rivulets in the gravel driveway. It flowed in torrents.

I got up, walking into the sitting room, where the television, the Play Station, and the speaker system sat, framing the boom box, which Mia bought for us. Ghosts seem to whisper to me in the silence of the empty house, but I cleared my head and sat down.

I flicked on the television, watching the pictures on the late night news flash. They shouted about flash flooding, warning about closed roads, which they could have walked on tonight.

"No," I told myself. "You're being paranoid." However, I gazed at the telephone, and decided to make a call. I dialed in Mia's number. She answered after two rings. "Mia?"

"Seiji? What's the matter? Are you okay? This rain is terrible! Good thing I live on campus, or I wouldn't be able to go anywhere! Will you make it to school?" Her voice sounded frantic, yet oblivious to the loneliness that lived in the manor.

"Well, the driveway probably is going to be flooded, and if it rains much more, I don't know if the bus will come back this far," I told Mia rationally, and it felt wonderful to talk sensibly.

"Oh, well, Rowen is here. He said he couldn't make it home from an after school study session. I was going to call you," Mia's chipper voice repelled me. I didn't want to talk to her anymore. Part of me simmered that Rowen hadn't revealed the truth to Mia, and part of me was immensely thankful.

"Oh, okay, but I have to go. It's homework. Bye," I responded hastily and hung up the phone. Rowen stayed with Mia, at her apartment tonight, and he was safe and sound, with another human being. He should've stayed in this abandoned manor.

I frowned at the television, suddenly not wanting to watch it any more. I picked up the TV Guide, flipping through the pages, hoping to find a good movie. Dumb and Dumber was on, one of Kento's favorite movies, but no, I wouldn't watch it. I gazed at the listings, spotting Hero, which was one of Ryo's favorite movies.

Maybe a video game would do. I picked up Grand Theft Auto, which Rowen, Cye, Kento, and Ryo always played together when Cye wasn't cleaning. Video games held no appeal to me, though, and remembering the guys only made me remember the quarrel.

Reading, yes, that's what I'd do. I clicked off the television, walking past the grand piano. Could Rowen really play it as well as I was told? I brushed the dusty surface. Dusting day and Cye hadn't dusted. However, I resolutely made my way to the bedroom Rowen and I shared without glancing around at any of the multitude of items that would jog a memory.

I stared at the large stacks and crates Rowen and I piled in the closet and corners of the room as our own personal library. I picked up the book on the top of the crate where we kept our favorites. The pages of _The Three Musketeers_ crinkled from being read a lot, and the glue of the binding loosened with every reading. True, it was a used copy before I'd bought it, but it was a favorite of both of us.

I tossed the book down, turning off the lights. I'd sleep, but I gazed at the ceiling, in the dark, unable to think about anything else.

(The Next Day)

The alarm clock rang. Wait, no, not the alarm clock, but the telephone. I stumbled down the stairs, grabbing the receiver. "Hello, Koji residents?"

"Seiji," Kento's voice came across the receiver. "Seiji, dude, I can't sleep! I can't take this! We need to go!"

"Where?" I mumbled into the receiver. If I'd been gotten more than two hours of sleep, I might have been more receptive. "Kento, this isn't funny."

"I know! It's Cye, Seiji! He's in trouble!" Kento yelled, banging something in the background. "Please!"

"We'll talk when you come here," I muttered. "I need to start getting ready for school, and if we're late, Kento, there'll be punishment."

I clicked the receiver before he could say anything else more. If it was that important, why didn't he come home last night, or just call last night? I stumbled up to the bathroom, turning on the water in the shower.

I dressed, like every morning, in my ironed, gray uniform. I fixed my hair up, but even with the gel, my hair didn't hold as well today, and the bags under my eyes couldn't be hidden with hair product. I sighed, walking down to breakfast. I ate a bowl of cold cereal, silently wishing for toast, but I could not find the will to make any for only myself. I shouldered my school bag and opened to the door to a chilly, miserable morning as the sky continued to unleash its tears.

The driveway had washed out like I thought it would, and I grabbed an umbrella, too. I trudged down alongside the flooded driveway until I met the main road, where I waited for the bus, but after ten extra minutes, I realized it wasn't coming. Kento's early wake up call would give me extra time to trudge to the school.

When I reached the building, my hair was sopping wet and hanging down into both of my eyes. I went into the men's restroom and wrung out my soaked jacket and then took of my pants and wrung the extra water out of them over the toilet bowl. Finally, I headed for the classroom, deciding I didn't feel like seeing the guys in this miserable condition.

"Seiji, you look so bad!" One of the girls that sat behind me gasped as I ambled into the classroom.

"He looks human, if you ask me," Nakeisha retorted as she sat down beside me. I removed my dripping locks from in front of my eyes and smiled wryly at her. Nakeisha smirked and shook her head. "I think this look works for you."

I sighed, wishing I could get some hair gel, but my less than immaculate appearance seemed to relax Nakeisha. "Really?"

"My brother talked about you last night," Nakeisha commented as she got out her books. I arched my eyebrow skeptically as I dug through my bag to hunt for my own book. "It seems you down played that row you had."

"Maybe, but what's done is done, and the point is, this rain better stop soon," I muttered as I stared out the window where the rain continued to pound against the panes.

(Ryo)

The pattering of the rain woke me early, allowing me to exist in the state of half awareness. The three thick blankets and a sheet remained tightly wrapped around my body, so even though my nose was chilly, the rest of me was snug in bed. I tried to orient myself in the room during the vague shadows of morning.

The ceiling wasn't high, but it was flat and all the plaster walls were painted a soft, cream color because I'd seen them in the daylight. However, in the darkness, the ceiling fan seemed a menacing creature in the distance, which sloped down over my bed. I turned my head as the first ray of light slit through the crack underneath the door.

"Ryo, get up," Lee said groggily as he opened the door and stuck his head inside. I groaned and covered my eyes as the light seared my retinas.

"Can't this wait?" I moaned as I reluctantly threw off the blankets and stretched. The air made me shiver, and I scooped up my ball of clothes on the cold, wooden floor and trudged towards the bathroom.

"Everything's flooded," Lee mumbled as he walked into his parent's room to use their bathroom, since they'd already taken their showers.

"Could shower outside, huh?" I joked, and Lee grinned slowly, but it was early. Nothing is funny this early in the morning. I stripped off my boxers, the only thing I'd slept in, while I turned on the shower and waited for the water to practically boil before I stepped inside the curtain.

The steaming water took the frigidness out of my bones as I stood, just enjoying the feeling. "Ryo!" Lee shouted through the door. "Hurry up!"

I reluctantly started to bath and finished my shower in five minutes. I quickly threw my uniform on and rinsed my mouth before opening the door and descending the stairs into the kitchen, where Lee sat, eating toast while watching the morning news.

"Many major roadways have flooded during the night, and public transportation has been canceled in some areas," the anchorwoman, who happened to be sitting in the dry studio, announced.

"Floods?" I asked as I grabbed the two pieces of toast on the counter.

"Flash flooding during the night. It's a mess outside, but we're close enough we'll probably be okay," Lee told me as he finished chugging down the remainder of his orange juice. "We got to go."

I nodded and grabbed my school bag by the door as Lee turned off the lights and TV. I stepped outside into a washed out gray morning. I frowned as I looked around at the low, ominous clouds that hung low and foreboding in the sky. They seemed to dampen the mood as well as the earth, too, and I stared at the puddles and rivulets of water flowing along the street.

"What a mess," I muttered as Lee locked the house and joined me outside. We trudged down the street, getting sprayed by the occasional car, but we were unable to avoid the massive puddles in every step of our path. When we reached the school, we ran inside to join the mass of students that were soaked to the bone.

"What a day," Lee muttered. I nodded solemnly as we walked silently up to the classroom. Everyone's hair was matted down and dripping, and some students were wringing out their uniform jackets in the hallway.

"What a morning for a walk," Tomo muttered as he met us when we came in the doorway. "Akio and I got here, but they closed the one road by our house."

"I thought they might cancel," Nilla said as she came over to us, her hair slicked down against her head from the water. Behind her, Lily came over, a pouting frown on her purple lips. She was combing her dark, dripping hair out, and I thought she looked like she'd gone for a swim.

"I'm so-o cold," Lily chattered. "I-I walked the whole way from my house and fell in a puddle."

"That would do it," Lee chuckled. However, Lily glanced around the room anxiously as she continued to run the comb through her tangled locks.

"Where's Cye?" she asked and met my eyes. I scowled impulsively at that moment, remembering why I'd gone home with Lee in the first place. Lee seemed to be almost the polar opposite of the guys, especially Rowen and Kento. Somehow, staying at his place again, like I'd done so many times in the past when we were close, comforted me inside.

"I don't know. Don't ask me," I grumbled as I walked away from Lily.

"Ryo, he wasn't here yesterday, either," Nilla replied as she slipped in front of me, blocking my escape by the windows. "Do you think something is wrong?"

"I don't know," I muttered irritably. "I'm not Cye's parent."

"Nilla, come on, just drop it," Lee said as he strode up beside me. "What happened wasn't Ryo's fault, and if Ryo can come to my house, I'm sure Cye probably went some where else. He's fine."

"I don't have a good feeling, that's all," Nilla said skeptically as she met my eyes. "Why don't you care more? Cye's a good guy, not matter if he's friends with those jerks or not."

"Well, we aren't exactly getting along right now, and I just don't want to see any of them for a while, okay?" I made my point clear to Nilla. She shrugged and nodded in consent as we took our seats to get ready for class. I stared out the rain-streaked window and let the rain wash the gnawing feeling Nilla put in my gut away.

(Seiji)

As lunch began, Nakeisha packed up her things and slid out the doorway. I could feel the eyes of the other girls on me as their searing gazes of hate pierced the back of my neck and made my hair stand on end. I scoped up my lunch hastily and darted out the door to follow Nakeisha, who'd become an odd source of comfort during the day. She'd spoken to me today, and although she was still sarcastic, her caustic attitude seemed to have faded slightly.

"Date," Nakeisha said before she even gazed up at me when I entered the art room. "I thought you'd come."

"I knew I'd come," I said to took a seat on the windowsill while I opened my lunch and gazed half-heartedly at the disgusting leftovers I had to pack. Nakeisha kept molding and sculpting her hydra, ignoring me as I began to pick through my food.

"I heard something interesting yesterday," Nakeisha said and a smirk slid across her face. "Did you pick a fight with Sean?"

"No, it was a misunderstanding," I sighed. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"Yes," Nakeisha replied firmly as she started the hydra's feet. "I want to know what happened. Sean seemed upset, which is unlike happy go lucky Sean, and he mentioned your name."

"Why? I barely did anything, except try to separate a couple people," I muttered, shoving the incident to the recesses of my brain. "It wasn't the best experience of my life."

"You, have a bad day?" Nakeisha snickered as she took and extra lump of clay and practiced sculpting talons with it. "Date Seiji, God of Men, has a bad day?"

"Misunderstanding," I grumbled and my mouth went into a straight line. "Not just a brawl."

"I see," Nakeisha said skeptically and rolled her dark eyes. "I heard quite a lot of people were involved, though."

"Really?" I replied defensively and felt a bland emotion come over me. "I don't like this subject."

"Why? Does it mean you're not perfect?" she said teasingly and shot me a daring glare. Just then, a rattle of metal on the floor, crashing glass, and ceramics came from the door. Nakeisha spun around, her face contorted in livid rage, and I hopped off the windowsill to catch Kento before he tripped over anything else.

"I'm sorry!" Kento shouted his apology with his face dripping with sweat. "I've been trying to find you!"

"You idiot!" Nakeisha hollered while she began to clean up the mess Kento's entry made. "Do you know how much trouble I could be in! Help me clean this up!"

"Nakeisha?" Kento asked dumbly while he furrowed his brow. "You're hanging out with Seiji?"

"Yeah, because you're a total moron!" Nakeisha grumbled from the floor. I knelt down and picked up some of the larger ceramic pieces and threw them in the trash.

"Whoa, that's weird," Kento muttered and gaped, but snapped back into his more serious mood when Nakeisha shot him a tell-and-die look. "I've got bad news!"

"What? Let me guess, the fight was your fault?" Nakeisha snapped. Kento groaned, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Will you listen! Don't talk! Don't run away from me and hang up the phone!" Kento yelled and glared at me. "It's IMPORTANT!"

"What?" I sighed, sitting on an art table. "You said something about Cye?

"Yeah, he's getting deported!"

"What!" It was my turn to holler now. I hopped off the table, tipping over a stool. "Deported?"

"The fight," Kento explained as he frowned. "My family got a call about his deportation."

"Oh god," I muttered hoarsely and felt my stomach drop out from my body. "We have to do something!"

"You hung up on me! I couldn't find you all morning! Cye's not here!" Kento fumed and looked angrier than ever. Oh, he was right, I'd never searched out anybody this morning. I'd been an ass in my loneliness.

"Who's Cye?" Nakeisha asked when she finished cleaning up the mess. She firmly planted her hands on her hips. "Tell me. Now."

"He's a foreign exchange student, from London, and his family lived in Japan for a while, and he's never gone to school in the country. He moved in with Kento at the end of break," I explained, and Kento nodded his consent. "He didn't know anyone, and Kento and Ryo's friends got together so he could meet them all."

"And the fight happened, and now, Cye's in deep crap," Kento told the rest and appeared about ready to cry. "God, if he gets deported, I'll go back to London with him!"

"You're English isn't good enough," I replied gently and gave a sincere Kento a small smile. "We have to see him, get him out."

"After school my parents are going. They'll drive us there."

"Good," I sighed.

"We'll just walk back to my house," Kento said and waved his hand. Nakeisha stepped in the middle of our conversation.

"I'm coming, too," she spat. "If this Cye makes moronic Kento emotional, I want to meet him."

"Okay, outside my room," I told Kento, and he nodded that he understood. I grabbed Nakeisha's arm. "We're going to be late, come on!" I drug Nakeisha all the way back to our classroom to clean up the room after lunch. If it hadn't been for school, I would've gone to see Cye then, but I had to wait.

I plunked down in my seat, ignoring the class in general and thinking about Cye. Ryo and Rowen, where were they? Did Ryo make it some where safe? Did Rowen even come here today? I took a piece of paper, folding it up as small as I could manage to get it to suppress my jitters.

The class ended and Nakeisha and I exited the classroom together. "You might have started something," Nakeisha muttered as we passed the group of whispering girls that shot bitter looks at Nakeisha and me.

"Do you think I care?" I told her as we waited outside until Kento dashed down the hallway.

"Come on! We might be able to catch Ryo!" Kento hollered as he charged towards the stairs. Nakeisha and I darted after him, cutting our way through the swarming sea of people. I followed the path Kento's large form cut through the mob until he stopped at the exit door.

"He got away!" Kento muttered as he panted for breath.

"What?" Akio asked timidly as he walked up behind us. "What's going on?"

"We were trying to catch Ryo," I explained. "We had to tell him something."

"Bet it was important," Tomo replied sarcastically as he strolled up behind us, too. I glared at him as Nakeisha surveyed the twins.

"And you are?" Nakeisha gestured to the guys, waiting for an introduction.

"Akua Akio and Akua Tomo," Akio said and bowed before introducing his brother, who stared skeptically at Nakeisha.

"I know you," Tomo finally said and his eyes lit with malice. "You're Sean's sister!"

"Bite me," Nakeisha growled at Tomo, and I put my hand on her shoulder to warn her not to loose her temper. She brushed it off, gave me a stern look, and I knew she'd do what she wanted anyway. However, she didn't say anything to Tomo again, but promptly turned on her heals and smacked Kento on the back of his head.

"We going?" She snapped. Kento rubbed the soar spot on his head as he opened the door and strode into the drizzling rain.

"Crazy women," Kento muttered under his breath. After we'd gotten away from the school, Kento turned to me and said, "Akio's a nice guy, no matter what a moron Tomo is."

"Loathsome little twits, both of them. I couldn't tell them apart," Nakeisha hissed from the other side of me. It wasn't a good idea to have her and Kento beside each other, I instinctively felt.

Then, the rain spilled down in a renewed sheet that penetrated my clothes, which had dried during the day. Nakeisha and Kento darted across the street, and I followed them. We raced along the soppy sidewalks through ankle deep puddles until we reached Yokohama and charged inside for shelter. I gasped for a breath while I drip dried on the rug inside the door. Some people stared up at us, but others prudently ignored us and kept eating.

"Kento," Rinfi scowled as she came out of the back of the restaurant. "Don't scare away the customers."

"We need to go see Cye," Kento said as he took of his bandana and shook out his we hair all over Nakeisha and me. Nakeisha pursed her lips together and for a moment, I thought she might start ranting about Kento in public. However, Rinfi saved the day and promptly came around to the other side of the counter and drug Kento into the back. Nakeisha and I followed the brother and sister pair up a set of stairs that led to the three stories above the restaurant where the Rei Faun's lived.

"Don't drag me!" Kento shouted at Rinfi, who apparently had a death grip on Kento's arm.

"You're not embarrassing me in the restaurant," she replied sternly as they reached the landing of the second floor. "Mom! You're eldest son is home!"

"Kento," Mrs. Rei Faun greeted us warmly as she came down another set of stairs. I'd never been in Kento's house, but the first floor was tidy, the lichen green carpet was spotless as far as I could tell, and only the schoolbooks and crayons sat amidst the chairs and coffee tables.

"Date Seiji , pleased to meet you. You keep a very nice house," I complimented Mrs. Rei Faun as I bowed. Obviously Kento couldn't keep the place this clean. He could hardly get his laundry down to the basket to get washed.

"Nakeisha Johnson," Nakeisha introduced herself politely and took the customary bow also. By now, Rinfi had let go of Kento, who stood indignantly beside his little sister.

"Mom, Nakeisha, who is Sean's little sister, and Seiji are coming to see Cye, too," Kento told his mom firmly. "I want to leave now."

"I want to come," Rinfi replied stiffly. "Cye stayed at our house for a couple months, you know, so that entitles me to go, too. He helped me clean," Rinfi retorted as she stared at Kento, who cocked his eyebrows.

"You've got manager duties," Kento replied sarcastically. "I don't think you have the time."

"Mom!" Rinfi whined.

"Your brother has a point," Mrs. Rei Faun told Rinfi stoically as she gathered her purse and proceeded to the stairs. I exchanged a glance with Nakeisha, and we followed her down the steep staircase and let Kento and Rinfi bicker.

"I'm coming!" Rinfi shouted as she ran down the stairs and threw her apron defiantly on the floor. Kento went to grab her, but she dashed ahead of Nakeisha and I to remain protectively by her mom's side. "Tiji can do the manager duties for a couple hours. I'll tell him."

"Brat," Kento muttered as Rinfi ran to the kitchens. However, Nakeisha and I continued to follow Mrs. Rei Faun to the mini van. I whipped open the door to the mini van, and we climbed into the back seat. Kento and Rinfi joined us, and Kento slammed the door as he climbed in last.

"Where is this place?" Nakeisha asked. Kento shrugged. "What? Figures you don't know."

"Seriously, I don't!" Kento yelled. "I've never been there! My parents know, but I don't."

"Oh," I replied evenly, trying to soften the tone. I looked over at Nakeisha, who stared out the foggy windowpane into the pouring rain. On my other side sat a slightly sulking and anxious Rinfi Rei Faun, who didn't physically look like Kento, but now I realized she seemed to have a potent edginess to her that I'd felt in Kento, too. We drove through bad sections of Tokyo, finally pulling up into a shabby neighborhood, parking in an almost flooded lot. Then, we walked a block until we found ourselves in front of the building. The bricks looked beaten with age, the windows stained with permanent dust layers.

"This is it!" Kento roared. His fist curled, and Nakeisha elbowed him. Rinfi's lips curled as she dashed to the door, but Kento grabbed her collar and let Mrs. Rei Faun enter first.

"Don't beat anything to a pulp," I reminded the brother and sister quietly as we walked through the door. I wrinkled my nose at the stale odor as Kento's mom approached the cranky man at the desk.

"We're here on behalf of Cye Mouri. We're his host parents," Mrs. Rei Faun began to explain. I began to scan the building. There were several hallways branching off from the little room along with a staircase. Also, a couple closed doors led from the lobby.

Then, through the door walked a girl who I vaguely recognized from Ryo's classroom. She walked up the stairs, and before I could stop him, Kento dashed after her. "You're not allowed up there!" The grumpy man growled at Kento's retreating figure. I bounded after him, knowing immediately Cye was upstairs.

When I reached the landing, Kento already began to yell out Cye's name, checking every room. The girl stared stupidly at us before Kento almost slipped knocking a door at the end of the hallway before entering that room. Nakeisha reached the landing behind me with Rinfi in tow, and we followed Kento down the hall. Annoyed students peeked out of their rooms, some muttering curse words in other languages at the excited Kento.

"Cye!" Kento hollered and turned into the room at the very end of the hall. "You're here!"

I walked into the cramped, dirty room. The mattress looked too old, the floor extremely worn, and everything harassed with age. Cye's shocked face stared up from the bed, eyes glad, yet filled with shame.

"We're going to bust you out!" Kento roared. Nakeisha jumped through the door, and Rinfi slid in behind her.

"Yes, but not Kento's way exactly," I told Cye soothingly and gave him a soft, reassuring grin. "That's the last resort."

"This place sucks!" Kento groaned and plopped down on Cye's bed, and his weight sunk the mattress to the floor. "I can't believe they're making you stay here for something you didn't do!"

"Something we did," I told Cye apologetically. He smiled sadly and shook his head. "No, it's our fault, not yours, and we're here, because we would loose all our honor if you're going back to London."

"Thanks," Cye muttered. "You guys shouldn't be up here, but since you are, don't leave."

"Done," Rinfi replied jovially and grinned. "That guy already told us that, though. What crawled up his butt? I don't know if I want to know."

"You are?" Cye laughed, looking up at Nakeisha.

"Nakeisha, Seiji's friend," she replied, and I felt a silent shock at her introduction. She bowed to Cye, however, not missing a beat. "Pleased to meet you. I'm from America, but my family moved."

"I see," Cye commented and nodded towards her. "Where'd you meet Seiji?"

"We're in the same class, and he stalked me to art," she replied with a smirk. Cye nodded, with a grin, but it was fleeting. At that moment, I turned to see a tall girl with chestnut hair standing at the door. Her steely eyes, intimidating height, and broad shoulders, even for a woman, cast her presence without her saying a word. Beside her, the smaller, timid girl appeared and peered into the room for a second before turning away and slipping into the hallway.

"Friends?" The girl said with a thick accent. "What do you hope to accomplish?"

"We're busting Cye out!" Kento yelled. She rolled her verdant eyes.

"While you're at it, break me out, too," she retorted with a snort, and her voice was as stiff as her eyes. "It doesn't happen."

"Oh, yeah? Watch us!" Kento hollered and stood up eye to eye with the girl. She grinned, gazing at all of us.

"Yes, they're going to get Cye out," Nakeisha said sternly and rounded on the girl, her eyes meeting the girl's neck. "Jealous because you can't get out? Don't have anyone?"

"None of your business," the girl snarled, which worked as quite a threat. Rinfi raised her eyebrows and backed into the room as Nakeisha confronted the other girl. "Get out."

"We're not in your way," Kento growled. "We don't have to freaking move if we don't want to!"

"Please, we'll be quick, and we'll be quiet, if that's what is bothering you," I replied serenely to the girl. She eyed me up and then looked at Nakeisha skeptically.

"I'll leave only if you leave," Nakeisha challenged her. "Come on, let's go." Nakeisha exited the room, and the girl gave Cye a curious look, but followed her, leaving the three of us and Rinfi alone in the room.

"I think I'll go down and help out mom," Rinfi replied hesitantly as she watched the two girls go. "Nice to see you, Cye."

"She's gone," Kento replied with relief and plunked back down on the bed. I took a seat on the floor in front of them. "What a neighbor."

"She's lonely," Cye replied airily and a wistful smile came over his face. "I was pretty bloody lonely when I first got here."

"No kidding," Kento mumbled. "I think I'd get back on the boat to London if I'd just showed up."

"I rode in a plane," Cye said absently. He gazed from Kento to me, looking slightly relieved, and then, disturbed. "The only other place this bad was Talpa's dungeon."

I gave an involuntary shudder. We sat in complete silence, listening to the rain tapping the windowpane, failing to clean it. "That was terrible," I whispered. I gazed at the two of them, knowing they fully understood. Cye shut his eyes, tears tingling on the edge of his tear glands.

"I can't help thinking about it," Kento muttered. I nodded, and Cye's tears streamed down his face. I took a deep breath to calm my emotions.

"It's okay, we're not going back," I raised my voice a little higher than a whisper. "This isn't Talpa's dungeon."

"It feels more lonely," Cye's raspy voice could barely be heard. Kento wrapped an arm around Cye. Cye began to wipe his eyes on his sleeve. "At least you two were there, even though it was horrid."

"We're here, now," I steadied my voice. "We'll spend the night, if that' what you want."

"Thanks, but that's really not necessary, but thanks for offering," Cye's voice gained strength and a small smile touched his lips. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Kento replied and forced a grin over his lips. "We're brothers in arms. Together to the end. The three amigos."

"Yeah," Cye said with a remotely sincere chuckle. "The three amigos."

"We've been through enough crap to take this place! We'll keep you in Japan, even if we have to stuff you in a trunk and hide you," Kento said and puffed out his chest. "No one gets to my buds!"

"We're not going to suffocate you in a trunk," I told Cye reassuringly and laughed quietly. "But we'll be here for you, everyday after school, as long as you're in this place."

"Yeah, Seiji will plead your case," Kento replied stiffly, and Cye smiled his thanks to me. I nodded firmly, standing up, hearing Mrs. Rei Faun in the stairwell, where she was calling our names.

"We've got to go," I stated the obvious and flashed Cye a hopeful smile. "See you tomorrow!"

"Don't give up, we'll be back!" Kento called, leaving the room, meeting up with Nakeisha in the hallway. I leaned quietly against the car window as we drove away. Brothers in arms, yes, that's what we were. A small smile crept upon my face. We were the three musketeers in samurai armor.

(Cye)

The rain clattered upon the window, keeping me awake. Sleep would come soon, I felt. Kento and Seiji's faces lingered in my mind. They'd come for me my heart told me. I wasn't alone, as I thought. They had always been there for me, and they weren't going to leave when the hour was darkest.

"Cye," the Russian accent woke me. I stared up as Zera hesitantly entered my room. Her gaze seemed softer, and she stood over me. "What's going on?"

"My friends came for me," I replied and found myself smiling serenely. Her gaze fell to the dirty window. I bet she wished she could look out of that window as much as I could.

"Lucky, to have them," she whispered. "I talked to the girl while N'deki tutored me. You are lucky."

"I know," I replied and gazed up at a brief look of intense sadness on the physically confident features I'd come to know since I'd roomed beside her. Her posture of strength broke, and tears stood in her eyes for a second. I didn't speak but just stared. What had Nakeisha said to her?

"She told me how worried they are," she said with a quaver in her voice but swallowed the lump in her throat. "They're concerned."

"I know," I told Zera soothingly and sat up in bed. "Kento was my first friend in Japan. He helped me adjust. I lived with him practically the entire time I've been in the country. I didn't live at the family estate, like suggested, but this is where I chose to stay, by my friends."

"Brothers, that's what she told me," the Zera replied in her sonorous voice. "Brothers, a strong word, for strong bonds."

"Tighter than blood," I replied softly and a slight smile touched my lips. She nodded, still staring away from me. "You don't have any, do you?"

"No," her expression hardened, but she still talked. "I did, but we were never close. That's what we talked about, loneliness."

"Oh," I replied, feeling awkward now that she opened up to me. "I had only a sister, and Kento has a huge family, and in the oddest way, we bonded."

"It happens?" she questioned as she met my eyes, asking if somehow, she could really have a family, too. I nodded slowly. She frowned, turning away, ready to leave.

"Wait, just give it a chance," I offered advice before she could leave. "You've been with N'deki and Nakeisha."

"Yes," she replied before she walked out. Something in me admired her determination. Unbreakable she appeared, even when I first saw her. I leaned against the dirty wall, a small smile creeping on my face.

A/N: July 2007: Well, I most fixed grammar in this chapter. It hasn't changed much, and I still like the Seiji's parts the best out of everything I wrote in the past two chapters. So, drop me a line. Thanks, MorganRay.


	13. A Brief Victory

**Brief Glory**

(Rowen)

"So, Japanese history," I said and looked across the table piled with books at Kaede, who was beginning to sift through the enormous piles. We'd been partnered together for this project by our own choosing. "What topic did we choose?"

"You don't remember?" Kaede asked teasingly. "Rowen doesn't remember?"

"You know what, it was early. I was asleep. I'm a night owl," I told her defensively. However, Kaede peered over the top of one of the books and grinned at me good-naturedly. A playful gleam hung in her eyes as she continued to speak to me.

"We're doing Japanese mythology's influence on government," Kaede said promptly and laid a stack of books in front of me. "It'll be fun, Rowen, even if it's not about great Japanese scientists. That idea was already taken."

"No, mythology will be easy," I said with a smirk. "I thought you'd pick something else."

"No," Kaede replied as she opened a book and began to skim the index. "What I like about mythology is that it seems almost real, you know, like there might be a way you could almost touch it."

"Really?" I chuckled, unable to contain myself. I was half tempted to tell Kaede she could stretch her hand across the table and touch part of a legend, so to speak. I smirked at the thought, and she looked up and caught my mirthful stare.

"What? Are you mocking me?" Kaede asked defensively. I shook my head and laughed, but bit my lip when the librarian began to approach our table.

"Please stay quite," the librarian said sternly before striding across the room to a group of giggling girls. I looked at a perturbed Kaede, who let the subject drop and plopped a book in front of me.

"So, here we have Amaterasu, or Amaterasu-ō-mi-kami, which means 'Great Goddess Who Shines in the Heavens," Kaede explained to me when she pointed to an article she flipped to in the book. "We could start with her, since her thing with the jewel, the sword, and the mirror became part of the royal family's regalia. The royal family dated their ancestry from her, too."

"You read this in your spare time?" I replied with a smirk. Kaede rolled her eyes as she pointed her finger on the article.

"Starting here, with a major goddess, is just a suggestion," she said stiffly. "She's important and interesting."

"Okay," I agreed as I took another book and began to skim the index. "I'll start with her father per say, Izanagi."

After almost an hour of note taking, I looked up as Kaede shut one of the books and began to put the various volumes away. I gathered my notes together, grabbed the one book I'd found particularly helpful, and packed them up and left the library with Kaede. Outside the stuffy, tranquil building, the rain drizzled across the city, which was still obscured in a haze by the low hanging clouds.

"I think I might take a bus back to the manor," I said matter-of-factly as we strode down the stone steps in the drizzle.

"Why?" Kaede asked as she kept pace with me while I continued to the bus stop. "I don't think it's a good idea. I think you're being foolish, Rowen. Go back to your friend's dorm, but you should come with me instead."

"You're saying I shouldn't try to move on with them?" I questioned Kaede's obvious ploy to keep me away form my friends, who, even though they'd been complete idiots, I found I was beginning to miss. Seeing the manor, even if I left again, might put some peace into my mind. At the very least, maybe I'd be able to patch it up with Cye, who'd stayed neutral through the entire thing.

"I'm saying you need time. Rowen, I'm here for you," Kaede told me and put her hand around my back. She drew me close, and I felt my body tingle and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I realized how painfully close her body was to mine. I couldn't struggle or pull away, and I felt strangely powerless, but when she went to put her head on my shoulder, I tugged free.

"I'm fine on my own, thanks," I replied bluntly and boarded the bus without her. I took a seat and watched her walk away. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. What had I gotten myself into? I couldn't escape her, but at times, I really didn't want to leave her, yet, staying around her meant she'd try to pull some flirtatious trick on me. It happened before, subtlety, but she'd never tried public embracing before today.

As the bus approached the road to the manor, it stopped and the driver announced that this road was flooded last night and wasn't cleared yet. I sighed, grabbed my bag and books and got off the bus. I trudged up through the swirling, murky water to reach the driveway, which had completely washed out up around the bend by the cliff.

I popped out my keys, pants soaked in water up to the knees. The door creaked slightly as I opened it to the cold, empty house. I flicked on the kitchen light, watching the still room. Who'd been here last? Mia mentioned that Seiji came here, so I felt better that somebody had taken care of the place. If felt so familiar, and I could feel them in these rooms, but I didn't want to yet. I laid all my books down on the table and stood dumbly in the center of the kitchen. I never told Mia about the entire extent of the fight, but the days I was with her, they helped. Yuli and Mia were a consonance and an escape from the confusion that had happened in the manor.

This was real, though. I walked towards the piano, staring at the keys. I knew how to play. What to play? I gently picked up "Largo," one of my favorites. I began to play the piece, extending my long fingers over the keys. I reached thirteen keys, and used the pedal when I couldn't reach farther. Softer and then louder, a song of deep emotion, more packed with feeling than I've ever played with before sounded up to the ceiling. I felt tears on my cheeks.

"Repenting?" A voice asked from the kitchen. I snapped my head to see a wet, soggy Nilla in front of me. My stomach froze. "I came by to see you and Ryo."

"He's not here, and I don't know where he is," I replied and took myself out of my euphoria of music. I frowned, turning towards her. "I thought you'd know."

"Well, you two are very close," Nilla said with a sigh.

"The fight had an effect, you know, and I thought you'd know," I explained to Nilla, wondering why she was here at all. I didn't think we'd talk at all after the things that happened between us. "You came to see me?"

"Yes, to apologize," she said meekly and blushed. "I miss you, and I had a lot of feelings for you, and I'm deathly sorry."

What was her game? She had feelings for me? In my mind, the ideas of Nilla and feelings for me weren't logical. I found my stomach feeling uneasy as I recalled our history. Did she love? No, she most definitely loathed me.

"Do you love me?" I asked seriously. I walked up to her, looking her in her almond eyes, which shimmered with desire. This was the question to end all of my questions.

"Yes, Rowen, I do," Nilla replied and smiled gleefully up at me. I grinned. I punched her in the gut, then elbowed her in the head because I knew. I'd felt it in my gut long before I'd asked her the question. I rushed to the wall, grabbed one of Mia's grandfather's swords and thrust it through her gut as look of horror froze on her face.

"See, Nilla's not forgiving," I hissed and put on my armor as the girl began to change into the creature again. "Nilla would have called me a bastard or something. I know better now. Your aura wasn't right, honey."

I grabbed my bow, shooting its wings, causing the creature to howl in pain. It floundered around the room as I shot it full of arrows. "That's the last time I stay home alone," I grumbled. I picked up the sword, replacing it to the wall after I cleaned it off. The dead creature lay on the floor. Its black blood covered the ground, but soon, the body disintegrated, and I groaned. What a bloody mess I had to clean up.

"Nilla," I whispered as a truth hit me like an eighteen wheeler truck. The real Nilla had been victimized again. I took off the armor, racing out to the driveway. I paused, realizing I didn't know her address. I raced back inside and found the address book where her name and phone number were written down in Ryo's handwriting.

Then, I raced down the driveway. I dashed through puddles, drawing on my slightly unnatural physical strength to carry me to her house through the miserable weather conditions that strove to dampen my spirits. I stared at the printout directions when I reached Tokyo, and finally, I found her house. No cars were in the driveway, and no lights, that I could tell, were lit. I fought the panic that tugged at my heart when I considered she could be seriously hurt.

I tried the doorknob. It opened, and I raced in the house. I called her name softly, walking up the stairs. I tried door after door, and at the end of the hallway, I heard a soft sound from behind the closed door.

"Nilla," I said cautiously before I walked through the door into a small room with cream walls, thick, amber carpet, and a plush burgundy bedspread. She was curled up in a corner. Her face held no color, and everything about her looked disheveled, and her hair had taken on a darker color, like the creature's fur.

"Rowen, what the hell?" she whimpered more than screamed. "How?"

"It came for me, and I don't make the same mistakes twice," I replied sternly and shut the door. "Are you okay?"

"No, does it look like it?" Nilla spat and wiped her tears. I went over, sitting down across from her.

"Nilla, do you love me?"

"Hell, no, you arrogant bastard," Nilla muttered. "You're attractive, yes, but seriously, Rowen, I'm not that stupid or superficial."

"I know," I replied and smiled with relief. "The thing said it loved me, and I knew it wasn't you. Yeah, something about you makes me angry, but I don't want to see you suffering."

"Took you long enough, and here, you're supposed to be a genius," she replied and laughed quietly. She looked at her hair, fingering one of the dark strands.

"Don't worry, it's not that bad," I said and shrugged. Nilla looked up at me skeptically. "I'm sure it'll go away."

"It does, but it was worse this time, after she took my form," Nilla confided and her lip curled, and she cried. I touched her arm, but she jerked away and tried to stop her tears.

"I'm sorry, Nilla, I am," I confessed sincerely. "I've been an ass to everyone, even my best buds." I felt tears threaten me, too, but I held them back.

"No," Nilla stated with more firmness and rolled her eyes. "Rowen, if you mean it, for real, then I'm sorry, also. It's just that, well, you come on the scene, and Ryo and you are so close."

"It happened over the vacation," I told her.

"Ryo went to Europe," Nilla said, but I heard the skepticism in her voice. "Rowen, you know I never believed that piece of bull. Could you tell me the truth? I think, after all this, I deserve the truth."

"The truth is, well, complicated," I confessed, not wanting to reveal the secret I held so dear to my own heart. However, when Nilla's tear stained, pleading eyes met mine, I realized in my gut that she, somehow, already suspected the real truth.

"You know?" I asked slowly.

"I know Ryo and everyone has lied to me. The vacation, I don't know, but it is all a sham, a lie," she muttered and looked down at her hands. "Rowen, something happened, and I know that it's bigger than me or you."

"Would you trust me if I told you? Will you swear to it?" I inquired of Nilla, asking her to make a vow.

"I swear on my life not to tell a soul," Nilla replied as she leaned slightly closer to me to listen to what I was going to say. I calmed my erratically beating heart and swallowed the lump in my throat to begin speaking.

"This vacation, we got mystical weapons and armors, and fought a demon," I said in one breath. Nilla stared at me, taking in my words, and then nodded, her eyes filling with the realization the she'd suspected something crazy like this. "We fought beside each other, defeated the demon, and he came back. He imprisoned Seiji, Kento, and Cye. Ryo and I bonded when we broke them out of prison.

"We became close, really close, and I fought this woman," I replied with a deep sigh as I recounted the most painful parts of the vacation. "Kayura was her name. I fought her until the demon that possessed her was gone. Then, Ryo defeated the demon forever."

"Well, it oddly makes more sense than Ryo taking a vacation," Nilla said and didn't laugh. She stared at me with complete concentration and utter belief in what I'd told her. "I mean, he never goes anywhere. His dad isn't close to him, so it seemed weird. The truth, though, that's bizarre, but after the shape shifter, it oddly is right."

"Really?" I said in disbelief and cocked my head. Did she just take it well? How did that happen?

"Yes, I'll accept it for what it is," Nilla responded stoically, and her gaze was unflinching. "I take your word, even though that's not the whole story, probably, but it works."

"Yeah, I don't think the rest of it is for me to tell," I confessed, and Nilla nodded her consent. "I'll have to break this to the guys, though."

"I understand," Nilla said and stood up, twiddling her thumbs. "Rowen, we got off to a bad start."

"Yeah," I said and laughed at the understatement. Nilla smirked and crossed the room to look up into my eyes, and I realized some of the weariness and pain had drained from her. "We never had a date, did we?"

"No," Nilla replied with a grin. "We'll wait a while, to go out by ourselves, but maybe, this weekend, I'll take you up on playing music. With the condition someone else is in hearing distance."

"Deal," I consented and shook her hand. She smirked and escorted me down to the living room. I felt a weight lift from my chest that I hadn't known was there until now, when it evaporated into thin air.

(Ryo)

"Sure you don't want to stay another night?" Lee asked me as I gathered my bag up and made the guest bed before heading down the stairs towards the door. "You know, you're always welcome."

"I know, but I need to go back," I told him as I made sure I had everything while putting my hand on the doorknob. "I can't stay any longer. I need to go see the guys, even if we fight." I could just end up back at Lee's house for a couple more nights if we fought. "They might have cooled down. Maybe."

"Okay, your choice," Lee said stiffly as I walked out of his house. I strolled along the wet pavement. I'd never seen a storm like it, where entire roads had flooded and closed, but the main down pour had let up by now. The rain finally stopped, and the roads might get a chance to drain off their mini lakes.

I turned the corner. The guys could still be in a stinking, foul mood. I still felt embittered towards Kento, but Nilla, Lily, and Akio hadn't said much during the day, but somehow they'd managed to imply that it was a misunderstanding. Cye hadn't done anything to help stop the fight, but he wasn't involved either, which made the fact that he wasn't there today weigh on my mind.

I slopped through the puddle in the middle of the road, deciding a direct route would be better. Crosswalks weren't made for me, not when I was on a mission. A mission for what, to have another fight? Maybe, but I needed to know their feelings when it was just us, with no one else involved.

"Move!"

I jerked my head out of the clouds. A sharp pain jolted up my leg. A horn blared as I stumbled off the road. The crazy driver sped on down the street. I gazed around, looking for the person who kept me from a fatal collision.

"Ryo!" A girl, who I'd seen before but couldn't place a name with, shouted as she ran along the street. "Are you okay?"

"Call the hospital," I muttered. "I might have broken something."

"No, come in," N'dkei, who I remembered was in my class, told me as the petit girl tried to help me hobble off the road. However, I didn't dare put my full weight on her shoulders because I doubted she could carry a sack of potatoes, let alone my full body mass. "I'll help you."

"How?" I asked and gazed at her intently. What did she mean? "Just call the hospital. I'll be fine."

N'deki managed to get me to her couch, where I lowered myself down while keeping my leg straight. N'deki bit her lip and put her hands on my leg, as if trying to see where it was broken. "Where's the phone? I'll call . . ."

I paused as I felt a tingling sensation where the car hit my leg. It was bleeding through my uniform pants by now, but the sensation seemed to numb the pain and spread up my leg, the entire way to my head. It was like drinking a cup of potent chamomile tea that soothed you to your bones when you were exhausted. It wasn't tea, though, and I noticed N'deki had gone unreasonably still, and I thought she was clutching my leg with a lot more strength than I thought she could muster.

Then, I knew. I don't know how, but I just knew what she was doing. The tingling felt like what happened when the Jewel of Life had freed me from Talpa's tower. She was healing me, binding back together my leg in a way I didn't realize was possible by a girl whose name I could hardly remember.

"The hospital . . ." N'deki let go of my leg and the sensation stopped. I felt like I'd come down from a high, but apparently, she didn't realize what she'd done. "You're leg . . ."

"Is fine," I told her quietly. "What did you do?"

"I . . . guess it was an . . . accident," N'deki said in bewilderment. "I've done stuff . . . before, but never without . . . help."

"Help?" I asked as I tentatively took a step onto my newly healed leg. I walked across her room, absolutely fine.

"From books," N'deki replied softly. She stood up, coming to just below my shoulders. I frowned, wondering how a petit, soft spoken girl managed to repair my leg. "Feel better?"

"Yeah," I replied as I took another lap around the living room. "You hid this . . . talent of yours pretty well."

"Don't tell," N'deki pleaded with me in a soft voice. "I didn't even tell my father."

"Why tell me? You could've called the hospital instead of helping me," I said as I went towards her door, deciding I'd better leave soon. The idea that this plain, ordinary girl just stopped on a dime and healed a broken leg unsettled some part of me.

"I just . . . It just happened. Don't tell," she begged as her soft, hazel eyes looked up into my own. She blushed a soft pink color and turned away in the next moment.

"Alright. Thank you," I told her as I opened the door and strode out of her house and along the sidewalks. I didn't want to risk walking in the streets again. I bit my lower lip, puzzled at what I'd seen. I felt stupid for not noticing that she had that kind of power. What else didn't I know about people that I saw everyday? At that moment, I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye again, and I turned around, but there was nothing.

I reached the manor an hour later, after walking the whole way through the puddles that collected all over the road and driveway. It was getting dark, and Mia's car was in the driveway. "Mia!" I shouted as I raced towards the door. She'd been dusting the rooms, while Yuli was watching TV. "Where are the guys?"

"No idea," Mia said with an exasperated sigh. "Rowen's stuff is here, but there's no one else home. I came by to see how you're doing. Rowen stayed with me, and I gathered something drastic had happened, so I figured I might stop by."

"We had a fight," I told Mia, unable to hide my bitterness and emotion from my voice. Mia nodded slowly.

"I thought maybe something like that, but what's this?" Mia replied and pointed to a large spot of black goo and dust. "It's a mess! Your leg has blood on it!"

"I don't know about the carpet, but this is just a scratch," I answered as I walked up and examined the disgusting spot on the carpet. Where were they? Maybe we all had the same idea to get away. "Rowen went with you, Kento probably went home, Seiji or Cye could have stayed here, or Cye could have gone with Kento."

"Yes, it seems that way," Mia said. She stopped dusting and walked over towards me. "What happened? It must have been awful, but I don't think Cye came here or else this place would've been cleaner."

"Kento's friends and my friends don't get along," I gave her the short version. "We fought, and I think things aren't going as smooth as we'd hoped. Cye wasn't in school today, and that worried some people, but I haven't seen or heard from the other guys."

"I see," Mia replied, but she was in deep thought. "I think we need to find out where everyone is. I don't like that there's a strange mess on my carpet and no one home. Rowen said he was coming home, and Seiji was here last night."

"I'll call Kento's house," I said and picked up the phone. It rang twice, and Mr. Rei Faun picked up. "This is Ryo, Kento's friend. Is he there?"

"No, I'm sorry," Mr. Rei Faun answered apologetically. "Sorry, Ryo, he ran off to go see Cye. Took our van with the Mrs. and Rinfi. You want me to tell him you called?"

"Yeah, but where's Cye?" I asked, feeling a slight panic rise in my throat. What happened to Cye? Wasn't he with Kento? He had no where else to go, and his family's house wasn't anywhere close to Tokyo.

"The poor boy got in trouble with his visa after the fight," Mr. Rei Faun sounded upset. "My wife and I are talking to the people in charge, but we haven't gotten in touch with Cye's mother yet."

"What?" I shouted, almost dropping the phone. Mia glared at me, her gaze piercing and concerned. "Mr. Rei Faun, what happened?"

"The fight wasn't very good for Cye's record, since he lived as a foreigner for so long and is technically a citizen of the United Kingdom," Mr. Rei Faun explained slowly. "They are reviewing his eligibility in the Japanese school system, and might possibly deport him at the worst, but probably they'll deny him citizenship later on, too, which means he'll have to leave the country eventually."

"Thanks, Mr. Rei Faun, but where is he?" I asked again.

"The Foreign Exchange Student Office, but the visiting hours, well, or at least hours where you can talk to the people in charge, are almost over for today. I'll tell Kento to call you, okay?" Mr. Rei Faun told me.

"Okay, bye," I said hastily and hung up the phone, my mind reeling in shock and disbelief.

"What was that?" Mia asked frantically and fixed her eyes on mine. "Ryo, tell me now."

"Cye's in trouble," I told her sternly. "The foreign exchange people didn't take really well to our fight when Cye got caught."

"You got Cye in trouble?" Mia gasped and advanced on me. Cye always kept a good reputation with Mia because of his domestic skills. "I thought it was a little misunderstanding! How stupid can you get! Cye could be deported for this, Ryo!"

"That's what Mr. Rei Faun said they were reviewing him for," I muttered in shame. Deported over doing nothing?

"Yuli! I'm going to take you to your aunt and uncl'es and drive over and see what I can do," Mia said and clicked off the TV. "Ryo, stay here, don't get in trouble, and I'm going to talk to the Foreign Exchange Student Office."

"I want to go!" I yelled at her.

"No, stay here and wait for Rowen and Seiji," Mia commanded as her and Yuli were already out the door. "Clean up that mess!" Mia shouted one last command. I groaned, walking over to the bottle of cleaner Mia left out. I kicked over the bucket of water, sloshing it over the mess. I got a new bucket and began cleaning, and then, I heard the door open as Rowen came inside.

"Hey," Rowen said somberly. "Cleaning up the shape shifter?"

"What?" I asked and was stunned once again today.

"It came back, as Nilla, and I killed it, and Nilla and I chatted," Rowen said and a grin slid over his face. "What's up with you?"

"You and Nilla are okay?" I asked as I dropped the cleaner.

"Yeah, we're trying to fix the problems," Rowen said calmly and smirked. "It's going to be quite a process."

"We've got problems. Cye wasn't in school. He got caught and is in review for deportation," I relayed the message to Rowen. It was his turn to go into traumatic shock. "Mia and Kento's family are all talking to the foreign exchange people so he doesn't get deported."

"No," Rowen gaped and ran to the phone.

"Don't bother calling," I hollered. "Kento's down with Cye, and Mia forbids us to go."

"Why Kento?" Rowen grumbled as he slammed the phone down.

"Because his parents are hosting Cye," I answered Rowen as he grumbled some more. "Help me clean this up." Rowen got down and helped me clean up the mess. We finished, watched TV, and waited, but no calls or anything happened. I brushed my teeth, ready to sleep, knowing it would never come.

"Where's Seiji?" Rowen asked me in the bathroom.

"He's supposed to be coming home," I replied. "Why hasn't Kento called?"

"I'll wait up to see if he does," Rowen said as he began to brush his teeth. "Go to bed, and we'll see in the morning."

The Next Day:

(Ryo)

"Get up," I muttered and shoved Rowen out of his bed. "The bus might come today."

"I don't care," Rowen groaned while I poked him with my foot. "Get up!" I drug him part of the way towards the bathroom before he got up on his own and trudged to the shower. I sighed, frustrated that I had to do Seiji's job.

"Where's Seiji? Did they call?" I asked Rowen from outside the bathroom while I dressed in the hallway.

"No," Rowen muttered. He stumbled out of the bathroom and pulled his straggly bangs up with his blue _hachimaki_. We walked outside, where the sky was still overcast, but no more rain came down. However, because the sun hadn't shown yet, the water still lay in stagnant pools, but the vast lakes that the rain formed had begun to dry up, and our road reopened last night. At least that's what they'd announced on the news this morning.

Tokyo was shrouded in mist still, and we lumbered down the driveway and boarded the bus. Rowen went to sleep as soon as he sat down, but I couldn't keep my mind from wandering restlessly. "What do you think is going to happen?" I asked Rowen.

"You're guess is as good as mine is," Rowen mumbled and yawned as he sunk back to sleep. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration and gazed up at the ceiling of the bus instead of outside at the miserable landscape.

When we reached the school, Rowen and I headed towards the gym for the _tyourei, _and I spotted Kento, Seiji, and a girl standing in the hallway talking, but the _tyourei _started before I could say anything. After the speech, I shot through the mob and caught up with Rowen, helping drag him towards Seiji's blond head and Kento's thick frame.

"Why didn't you call?" Rowen asked when we drew up shoulder for shoulder with them.

"Maybe you should have made an effort to call them!" The girl yelled in my face, and Rowen raised an eyebrow at her attitude. I advanced to tell the black girl with a mouth to shut up.

"Calm down, Ryo, Nakeisha," Seiji said soothingly to both of us and raised both his hands between us. "Good to see you, too, Ryo."

"I did call," I replied hotly towards Kento. The girl glared at me, but Seiji gave her a look, but I didn't think she'd listen to his pleading.

"Let's not do this again," Seiji said tersely. "I think we've got bigger problems, personally, and we thought it was too late to call, Ryo. Mr. Rei Faun gave us the message, though. We were on the phone with Cye's mom and sister all night."

"Did you see Mia?" I asked as we moved our conversation along with the swarming crowd. Seiji nodded as Rowen looked up over my head towards his room, which we were quickly approaching.

"Yeah? I hope she did something," Rowen said as he paused, stalling before he had to leave for his room. He turned towards Nakeisha, the girl with the attitude problem. "How'd you know?"

"She was with me when Kento told me," Seiji replied and shrugged. "We've in the art room during lunch." She glared at me as if debating if I had some kind of obvious flaw.

"See you later," Rowen called out as he left the clump of us for his classroom.

"Kento, you're quiet," I commented and continued to walk forward. I frowned, eyeing up the sedated Kento. He didn't look like he'd slept much lately. Cye and Kento were very close, though, and I realized how deeply he'd been effected with a rush of guilt. The relationship, as we always joked, was that Cye cooked and Kento ate.

"Yeah, I'm a little sleepy," Kento said and shrugged it off. He grinned half-hearted at us, but it was false even though he wanted so badly to be tough. Then, the rest of us parted ways as Seiji and Nakeisha, Kento, and I headed in different directions.

"How are you?" Lee asked as I arrived to my own classroom. I gazed at Lee and Tomo, who stopped talking with a couple other people to walk over to me. I looked over and noticed Nilla, Lily, and Akio chatting among themselves, and I got the impression they were excited.

"What's up with them?" I asked and began walking over.

"Don't start," Tomo muttered. However, Nilla lifted her head, spotted me, and walked over, followed by Lily and Akio.

"Ryo, it's a good morning," Nilla said, clapping me on the shoulder. "Apparently, Rowen and I are okay again, and Akio seems to have reconciled his confusions over Kento and crew."

"Well, Cye is in trouble," I said soberly. Nilla gave me a questioning look.

"Cye? Is he sick? What happened?" Lily blurted out and waited intently for me to say anything.

"He's at the Foreign Exchange Student Office. You know, if you want to see him, come with me after school. We're all going," I told them, deciding that this might as well be a group effort. Nilla nodded firmly, and Lily just gasped, covered her mouth in shock, but Akio sedately bit his lower lip and gave a firm nod.

"What kind of group effort is this?" Lee asked, a slightly bitterness in his voice. "Tomo and I don't like this."

"Then you don't have to come," I replied stiffly, and I gave the two of them a stern stare, into which I poured my smoldering anger. Lee shrugged, Tomo just turned away and took his seat as class began.

Later that Day:

(Cye)

"I win again," I replied blandly and picked up the deck of cards to reshuffle them. "I guess I just have good luck today."

"Yeah, yeah," Zera mumbled. Our little card games lasted all day, and I lost count of how many different games we actually played. "You have luck, alright."

I frowned, staring past Zera, into space. I gazed at the wall, allowing the question to gnaw at me. It opened into my mind at breakfast, and damn it if it didn't go away. Terrible emotions came with it, and it ate little portions of my brain.

"Damn lucky, with friends," Zera muttered. She'd said that several times already. "They'll come see you again."

"Yes," I replied half-heartedly. "Seiji, Kento, and Nakeisha, they'll be back." The thought of them made me glad, but it was three.

"This doesn't make you happy?" Zera questioned me and scowled at what she probably thought was ungratefulness. This place didn't do wonders for either of our moods.

"It does," I replied and sighed from boredom. "Nakeisha comes and sees you, too, you know."

"Hmm," Zera pretended to be aloof, but I knew better. She was ecstatic that Nakeisha came back, and the two of them talked on and on, just like the three of us, but quieter, and I wondered at how they'd become friends. It was surprised Nakeisha even got on Kento and Seiji's good graces, after I knew she was Sean's sister, but I thought that maybe her bond with Nakeisha was partly that Nakeisha was foreign, too.

"Let's play again," I said. I dealt out the next game, and we started to play go fish. I didn't think we'd played it yet. "Give me your fives."

"Sure, sure," Zera grumbled and pulled out a card and handed it to me. I laid the match down. I'd tried to help her with her Japanese, but she was exceptionally stubborn. N'deki had come by a couple times, and we'd both worked with her, too. We ended up in a dead lock, playing cards today, though. Every time we tried to do something serious, like talk or learn, we'd come to a stand off, and the cards would become our saving point.

"Your threes," Zera asked me blandly.

"Go fish," I replied and desperately wanted a fish. Not to eat, but just to watch swim in water. If I hadn't been locked up, maybe I'd have gone and played in the rain.

"Your tens," I said indifferently and held out my hand. Zera pointed towards the pile.

"Fish," she replied. I drew a card, stared at it, and then watched her gaze uncaringly down at her own hand. She gazed off into space again, those emerald eyes totally unfocused. Yet, they still seemed dangerous, holding a sleeping strength.

"You know, if I stick around, I'll help you get out of here," I told her seriously, and she jerked her head up. Her eyes widened, and then narrowed at my promise.

"Mouri, you're too nice," she said conversationally. "You're lucky if you stay around Japan."

"I have lots of luck," I said with a smirk. She grinned back at me. "Give me your tens." I handed over another card, and Zera made her first match. She stared at the dirty window.

"You're not going to see anything," I told her what we both already knew. "If you stare at it long enough, the dirt is still going to be there. I've tried it enough."

"Ah," she said as she let out a sigh. "I am missing the sky," Zera said morosely and gazed at her hand of cards. "Your family?"

"I called them, but I told Sayoko and Ryuusuke not to tell mom anything or have her worry or come up because if she gets even more sick over me . . ." I started to say, but I couldn't even begin to imagine how guilty I'd feel if she died because of me. It was very possible.

"Cye," Zera said sympathetically. "She'll be fine."

"Sayoko said it's not my fault, but she's not happy," I muttered, remembering that neither of us were citizens, yet, and mom had come back to Japan and the sea against her doctor's wishes. I thought, in my heart, she'd come back to die, but I tried to banish this thought.

"Jacks," I said, burying my misery, and she gave me a card. I jerked my head up, hearing footsteps near my door. There were only four people that came down that hallway, and Zera was already here.

"Cye!" Kento shouted with a huge grin. "We're back!"

"I see," I replied with a nod, putting away the cards. Zera stood up, getting off the bed where we'd been playing. Seiji and Nakeisha smiled, coming behind Kento. Zera grinned slightly, nodding to them.

"Guess what?" Seiji's grin was enormous. "Mia is going to try to do something. Her and your mom and sister are on their way."

"No!" I shouted. "I told Sayoko not to involve my mom!"

"She has to come," Nakeisha replied matter-of-factly. "She needs to testify for you or something. A mass of people might do something."

"Hey, heard you got screwed because of us," Rowen said sarcastically and gave me one of his laid back, serene grins. I felt my face split into a huge smile as he strolled into the doorway. They'd all really come! Why'd I ever doubted? Why'd I doubted any of them?

"Do you have an army?" Zera asked and her mouth gaped open.

"You know it!" Kento shouted. I sighed, shaking my head as I heard more voices from the hallway. I knew probably half the building was up here, following their procession to my room. "We're Cye's homeboys!"

"Kento, shut up, you sound like Sean," Nakeisha replied and rolled her eyes.

"Who's your friend?" Rowen asked.

"Zera Kolav," Zera replied and extended her hand.

"Hasiba Rowen," Rowen replied with a bow. "I heard you had some company in this dump. Don't look now, but I think there's a party coming down the hallway. Ryo really knows how to call the troops together."

"Ryo," I repeated his name, and my insides lifted. I'd thought he might not come, but now, in my heart, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'd been wrong to even consider Ryo abandoning me. We'd been there for each other. Had I really forgotten he'd dove into a whirlpool for me?

"It's me, alright," Ryo said as he came into the room, followed by Nilla, Lily, Akio, and Rinfi, all of whom seemed shocked that I was here. Lily ran over to me and gave me a huge hug, and Akio stood quietly at the doorway.

"We couldn't stay away," Nilla said with a serene smile. I watched as her and Rowen exchanged looks, and a grin spread across their faces. I gazed between them in wonder as Rinfi came over and joined me on the bed, holding a bag full of homemade cookies.

"I missed you! I thought you were sick, but Ryo told us, and I felt so bad. Was it my fault?" Lily asked over zealously. I laughed and shook me head. Zera raised an eyebrow at the girl who'd fallen all over me. I was even glad to see clingy Lily, whose spirit livened up even this dead place.

"Mia's going to pull some strings with Dr. Koji's old friends, or something," Seiji told me as Rowen stepped into the room, ducking to get under the doorframe. "Apparently Ryo said she's upset."

"Get home, because Mia made me clean," Ryo told me and leaned against the wall. "Mia's going to turn us all into you in order to get the house cleaned."

"Without Cye, Rowen would cook, and Kento would clean," Seiji told me and grinned. Kento choked, and I laughed, unable to picture that situation.

"We'd all die, in other words," Ryo said, becoming suddenly serious. "Sorry, if that makes a difference. It wouldn't be the same if you left, Cye."

I nodded, feeling my smile grow larger, looking at their faces. We hadn't fallen apart with the first fight. No, brothers in arms, I realized, and it felt right as I thought about it. We were brother's in arms, but as I looked around the room, I realized brother's came with family, too.

"So pleasant," Zera said with a sigh. I turned to look at her. The room became sedated, and everyone's eyes fell on her tall frame with those powerful eyes. I looked up as I heard a cough from the doorway behind Seiji and Kento. Kento moved, and N'deki stood there, gazing in at all of us.

"I thought . . . well, I was supposed to tutor," she said shyly and stared at the floor. Everyone's eyes fell on her before Zera stood up and walked over to the much smaller girl that looked like a mouse beside a bear.

"I you want," Zera replied. N'deki looked up at her with astonishment. "I might try Japanese today."

"Oh, that famous hard head of yours not coming into play today?" Nakeisha teased. "I'll give Japanese a try, too, if you don't mind. I think us girls can give you more help than this entire room, huh?"

"We'll leave you five to male bond," Nilla replied and tugged Lily off the bed. Rinfi followed them to the door, looked back into the room, as if trying to decide something.

"Akio, come with me and we'll see if Cye's family is here yet," she said, and Akio obliged, and I was thankful that Rinfi realized the five of us needed to talk. Akio shut the door as he left, and the five of us were together again.

"Got to tell you something," Ryo summoned everyone in the middle of the room. His voice became quiet because these walls were still paper-thin. "I didn't want to say this while the girls were around, though."

"The walls are thin," I reminded him. Ryo nodded, and we huddled in a circle by the window.

"Okay, you know that girl, N'deki?" Ryo began to speak, and we all nodded in understanding. "Well, I got hit by a car yesterday, and she healed my leg. It was insane, but I thought you might want to know."

"What?" I gaped and gazed at Ryo. Little, shy N'dkei, tutoring Zera? She healed his leg?

"She's a witch of some sort, and something about the way she healed me makes me think we need to guard our secret around her," Ryo told us, and everyone nodded their consent.

"While we're sharing," Rowen added, "I need to tell you something just as important."

"Go ahead and speak," Seiji replied and everyone else nodded. I waited, a small smile coming over Rowen's face, but it disappeared quickly as he began to talk.

"Last night, when I got home, before Mia got there," Rowen began, "The shape shifter showed up, and I killed her."

"Anyway, it came as Nilla," Rowen continued after Kento let out a strangled noise of surprise. "I went over to see Nilla, and we talked. Everything is good between us. I told her about the armor and us because she knew. It sounds weird and please don't shout, but she knew. I can't explain it, but she knew, maybe not in her head, but in her gut, so I gave her the brief version."

"You told her?" Ryo asked incredulously. "You shouldn't have."

"Well, it's done, and come on, you knew she knew," Rowen said sternly. Ryo frowned, but nodded slowly. "She was suspicious from the moment she saw you again. She'll keep it secret."

"I hope so, but I was wondering about that those little looks you were giving each other," I replied, and let a slight smile slip over my face because I wasn't really worried about Nilla's trustworthiness. Rowen smirked playfully. "That's amazing. It's like a miracle."

"Except there was a shape shifter in the manor, twice," Seiji added. "That's no miracle, that's a threat. We've been targeted."

"It's dead," Rowen said with a shrug.

"Well, there's a witch who's on to us, and a shape shifter runs around, targeting us, and I don't like it," Seiji stated again. "We'll just have to be careful, that's all."

"We've got to get Cye out, and in Japan, first," Rowen reminded Seiji. "I think that's the biggest problem."

"Yeah," Ryo agreed. "So, what do we do?"

"Let Mia handle it," Rowen replied. "She'd do better than all four of us would."

"No, we should say something," Kento spoke up and looked around the circle.

"Elect one of us to say something, then," Rowen consented. "Not all of us, just one."

"Seiji," I replied. "Mia likes him, and he's very elegant. How about it?"

"If that's the unanimous decision," Seiji replied and everyone nodded in consent. Seiji stood up, heading for the door. He exited and shut the door again.

"There's no way they're shipping you out, now that everyone is getting along again," Ryo replied and scowled. I sighed at his fierce anger.

"If I stay, I think we should help Zera," I whispered even though the door wasn't open. If Zera heard me, I didn't think she'd accept my help, even though she needed it. I didn't want to see her suffer because even for all her stubborness, she was still vulnerable.

"The Russian?" Kento asked. "I know, she's your friend, but what could we do?"

"Nakeisha and girls seem to be able to reach her," I pointed out to the guys. "Maybe she'll take Zera in, like Kento's family took me into their home."

"Yeah," Rowen replied as if the idea made absolute sense. "They're both girls, and they seem close enough. That might work, but how you going to suggest it? I'm surprised how well that girl took to all of them. Her and Nakeisha have some kind of mean spot to them, though."

"Maybe that's why they're getting along?" I suggested. "Someone could suggest letting Zera stay with Nakeisha, but don't let Zera know. She'll feel like we're helping her too much, and I don't want her angry with me. She's like the Hulk when she's angry."

"Great," Ryo said and chuckled. "It'll be two of them. Her and Kento, the incredible Hulk and Hulkette."

"Funny," Kento said and punched Ryo's shoulder. Ryo punched him back.

"Having fun?" Nilla asked as she appeared with Zera, Nakeisha, and Lily. Apparently, N'deki had left, but the four of them seemed fine to me, anyway.

"Just waiting for things to get straightened around some time soon," Rowen replied casually. "So, what did you lovely ladies talk about?"

"Girls stuff," Nilla smirked, but then a serious aura overcame her. "Really, though, we were talking about . . . us. No, Rowen, not you and me, but us, as in all of us." At this point Nilla took a breath and then said, "I think I'd be a shame if Zera sat around her the entire time. We think, as a collective girl group, that Zera might be able to stay with Nakeisha. Personally, anyone works for me, but Nakeisha knows English and Japanese, so we thought it might be best."

"Nice mind reading," Ryo replied and nodded his consent. "We were talking along similar lines."

"Really? I was thinking you're all a bit quiet," Zera responded sarcastically. "This place is too loud, and these rooms aren't that big."

"Cye, you meet the greatest people in here," Kento replied with a chuckle. Zera's eyes smiled, and she smirked at me, arms crossed. "I think I'll take a day pass here, or a night pass, and spend the night with you, Cye."

"You'd sleep on the floor, and they don't feed you more than three times a day, Kento," I told him and laughed from my gut as a look of horror crossed his face.

"No, no, that's horrid! That's inhuman!" Kento cried.

"What has he done while I've been gone?" Seiji said as he returned into the room. Even the air seemed to stop moving as everyone held their breath, and I felt the sweat build on my palms so I wouldn' have been able to even hold a spoon.

"What happened?" Lily asked anxiously. Seiji bit his lower lip and gazed around the room from person to person, and his gaze finally fell on me.

"Well," Seiji began. "Your sister and her husband came, backing up Mr. and Mrs. Rei Faun, Mia, and my testimonies," Seiji drawled on and kept the suspense building. "It seemed decently convincing," Seiji added. "That Cye isn't the trouble maker of the group."

"No kidding," I said and let out of a tense laugh. A small snicker went through the room.

"Anyway," Seiji commanded attention and everyone went silent. I leaned forward, waiting on every word Seiji stalled in saying. "Cye's going to have to stay, for a week," I let out a groan at another week in this dump. I felt my heart sink down to my knees. "A week at the Rei Faun's before he's allowed to go back to the manor!"

"YES!" I hollered and jumped off the bed. I gave Seiji an impulsive hug. I felt tackled from behind as Kento joined the bunch.

"MANLY GROUP HUG!" Kento yelled. In the little doorway, in room two thirteen, we screamed loud enough to get practically everyone upstairs outside their rooms. I thought I might not be able to breathe, but I kept shouting as I felt my eyes tear up a little. We paraded down the hallway, although I was shoved along by Kento the entire time.

July 2007:

I did more grammar revision in this chapter. Hmm, I liked it, but if I was really going to get hard core serious and rewrite this story, I would need to find out SOOOOOOO much more about foreign exchange students in Japan. There's no facts to this part what so ever, and I was fourteen when I wrote it, and I'll let it sit as it was written originally because I want to countinue with the story and not back track to revise this entire part.


	14. The Ancient's Heir

**The Ancient's Heir**

(Kayura)

The water lapped at my knees. I smiled as the little crab ran over my toes. Gray light played across my brown cloak, hiding a loose, white dress that was held by a blue sash at the waist. A cold wave hit my ankles, and as the water retreated, my feet sunk further down into the sand.

The azure water glistened rose in the morning's rays, and the color rolled along with the motion of the waves. The horizon eased into a dull, blue-pink, and then, it erupted into a stunning gold. Gray, puffy clouds from the night hung high in the sky, and their tips began to glow a faint orange like the gleam of gold, which has been hidden in the earth, when the light first touches it.

I knelt down, touching the soft sand the water hadn't caressed. Not yet warmed, but still soft to the touch, I picked up a hand full of the mobile silk. I dropped it, tracing my fingers through the dry silt. I drew a quaint figure of a girl doing a hand stand, which I used to do when I was a little girl and no one was watching me. I couldn't imagine anyone catching me upside down with my skirts bunched up by my head.

I stared back out across the calm water as it kissed the sands gently, leaving seaweed as its token of love. I picked up the little pieces of shells that washed up alonge the silent shore. I turned over a small spiral shell in my hand, and I could see the phosphoresent gleam that it hid. The pearly inside reflected the sparkling morning light, and out of impulse, I pitched it across the water, watching it bounce once before plunging into the sea.

I turned away, walking from the calm beach. I hadn't seen a sunrise at the beach since I was little. Barely five, I sat on my mother's lap, awed by the beautiful colors over the vast ocean. The glistening sun came up to another perfect, pale golden morning. The sunrise in the mortal world . . . how I missed it. I knew no sun sparkled over the slate sky of the Netherworld today.

I picked my way easily up the bluffs from the shore. I reached the top and began to follow one of the mortal roads. No sand comforted my feet now, and even with sandals, the pavement made them ache. Still early, most of the mortals stayed asleep, but a few of their fast cars glided sleekly along their roads. I pulled my cloak around me, realizing how chilly the morning happened to be.

Where to go? I'd seen my sunrise, but the Netherworld held nothing. To go back to the dullness, the lifeless realm? I couldn't bear it. Where to go? My family, the Ancient's clan, died four hundred years ago. No one would take me in during this age.

I paused, gazing up at the tall buildings I'd happened to spot on the horizon. The city where I'd fought. What was the name? Did it matter? No, the only thing I knew about this city was the Ronin Warriors. I paused and considered my options only to find myself frowning. I could go to them, but was that wise?

I kicked a little stone at my feet. The battles ended, but would they receive me? I knew them but at a glance, enough to pick out their faces. I had the Ancient's staff, I was his heir, but did that give me the right to go to them? I summoned the staff, and held it up. The rings jingled.

Later that Day:

(Kayura)

I sat on a little stump, which was gnarled and graying with age. The city lay behind me, and I had come a long way on foot. I began to climb a little stone and mud road up a hill. I listened to the staff again, closing my eyes. It guided me to them when I paused to listen, and it had led me from the bay to the other side of the city. The follage had come into its own lush, green splendor, and it was peppered with the bright colors of magenta, rose, and orchid.

What season was this? Had I really forgotten the seasons? This was spring, the season of renewal, but my heart sank within me at the thought. It was my season, but I felt it did not belong to me. I sighed, remembering how I left the Warlords. No, they wanted to stay, to guard the entrances to the mortal realm. The mortal realm opened wounds of our pasts that all of them, and me, would rather forget.

Oh, but the air and sun! Fresh life, the sunrise, and the beach, they welcomed me home. My childhood hadn't held all the war and strife the Warlord's childhoods had held. No, I came back for peace that lingered in the edges of my dreams.

I gazed upon a house, and I knew I'd seen it once. The tan brick building surrounded by tall, gorgeous trees, and I gazed out over the lake. I'd seen this place, but I barely remembered it, my mind held so much evil and hate then.

I paused, right behind their shiny car before the tall, brick house. I listened to the sound of music that transcended the walls of the house. Deep, harmonious strains echoed from the house, escaping an open window, seeping through walls. A higher, louder sound flowed with the base music that carried the melody. The high, metallic sound flowed over it, and my mind was filled with a terribly beautiful melancholy harmony.

I forgot myself as the music played, and I finally moved, stunned, when the music ended. I heard clapping, and a few shouts. I walked towards the door. I gently knocked, but no one came. I pressed a little button, and I heard pounding footsteps come towards me.

The door flung open. His mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out of Kento of the Hardrock's mouth. He gaped at me. I smiled shyly, realizing my intrusion full well.

"Good day," I said gently and bowed politely. He stood there, staring uncontrolably, not moving. "Sorry to intrude, but may I come inside?"

"Kento, what are you doing?" Cye of the Torrent called and soon his grinning face came behind Kento. He paused, eyed me up, eyes going wide also.

"Let's try it again," a girl's voice echoed from the house.

"I think we need lyrics," Rowen of the Strata's voice was unmistakable. I knew it well, and recognized it immediately. "It's no good without them."

"It's fine!" The girl demanded and stamped her foot. "Lyrics would ruin my melody, which you already drown out!"

"Do not," Strata retorted. "Your melody needs vocal help."

"Excuse me?" the girl shouted.

"Excuse me," I repeated what the girl had said and politely bowed again to Torrent as Strata and the girl argued. "May I come in the house?"

"S-s-sure," Torrent stuttered in shock while knocking over a chair to let me in.

"Who's there?" The Lady Mia asked and walked into the kitchen. She paused, and a small smile came over her face. "Kayura!" She exclaimed as the house went silent. Strata came into the kitchen almost instantly as he heard the news. His jaw dropped as look of disgust and shock overwhelmed his features.

"Lady Mia, Rowen of the Strata," I replied calmly and bowed to both of them politely. As I stood up, Strata's frown of displeasure deepened. "I am pleased to be here."

"What's going on?" A girl with brilliant russet hair that came to her shoulders walked into the room behind Strata. Seiji of Halo followed her. When he spotted me, he gave me a bow, and I returned it. "Who's this?"

"This, Nilla, is Lady Kayura," Strata answered curtly and glared at me. The girl's eyes widened, and then, she scowled, and for some reason, this surprised me.

"Why is she here? I thought she's the psycho you fought," the girl asked, and I reconized her voice as the girl Strata was quarreling with before I came. As she spoke, I looked around at everyone's faces for some help. I felt my face pale a bit. Was that what they told people about me?

"No, Rowen, what did you tell her?" Mia snapped slightly and glowered at Strata. "No, Lady Kayura is the last of the Ancient's clan. She bears the staff, and is most definitely good."

"Now, and I wish to apologize for past transgressions," I thought it best to say and bowed to the rude girl. She didn't seem reassured, though. "I fully didn't have control over myself."

"No need for apologies," Halo said soothingly to break up the moment and gestured me into the little living room. A large string instrument and an instrument like it, but shiny, with metal strings, lay on the floor. "What brings you here?"

"What's going on?" Ryo of the Wildfire asked as he walked into the room, followed by the child, Yuli. I bowed to them both. "Kayura, well, surprise to see you here."

"Yes, but I felt the need to return to the mortal realm," I replied and sat down, gazing at Wildfire. He surveyed me cautiously before crossing the room towards the couch. The boy looked between us, but then, before I knew was what happening, the large tiger rubbed up against my leg, which seemd to sooth both Wildfire and Yuli. Wildfire finally sat, as Yuli ran over to me, giving me a hug. I practically jumped away at this sudden gesture. I felt a small smile tug at my lips. What a lovely, innocent child this boy was after seeing so much evil.

"Kayura, why are you here?" Yuli asked and looked up at me. "Is it bad?"

"No," I said and laughed with relief, and all the warriors suddenly seemed on edge. "Nothing bad. I needed to come back to the mortal world."

"Netherworld got boring?" Hardrock replied with a subdued smirk. Torrent elbowed his side.

"Yes, to say the least," I answered and gazed around apprehensively at all of them. "I grew up here, and it still lingers in my memory. Besides, the staff's home is here."

"Where are the Warlords?" Mia asked quietly. Torrent fidgeted with the bottom of his shirt, waiting for my answer. I noticed that Seiji seemed to have lost his composure for a moment, and Strata, Hardrock, and Wildfire exchanged quick glances of concern.

"I left them, guarding the entrance to this world," I told the warriors firmly, and Strata raised his eyebrows to this. "They will be loyal guardians. As for me, my place, as the moment, is here."

"Well, you're welcomed to stay at the manor," Mia offered and smiled, but the guy's faces turned pale. Hardrock jumped out of the chair.

"What!" Hardrock exclaimed as Strata also stood up.

"Yes, it's my manor, and I choose who stays and goes," Mia told them firmly and stood up, facing Strata and Hardrock. "You're under my kindness here, and Kayura may stay. Maybe this place will be a little more organized with some estrogen around," she snapped at them and turned back towards me. "Kayura, how about you, Nilla, and Yuli go outside. I'd like to talk to the guys."

I obiedantly stood when Mia asked, and as I walked outside with the tiger escorting me. He kept pace easily with his ambling strides, and the tiger let me pass through the sliding door into the lushious yard, where the grass was refreshing after walking over so much dirt and pavement.

"Kayura, why didn't you come before?" Yuli asked as he jogged out to meet me. I turned and sat down under one of the lovely mapple trees, which settled me with its deep, orchid leaves. The tiger curled up by my right side, and I rested the staff on the ground to my left. Yuli stood in front of me, looking as anxious and curious as any child.

"It's you," the red haired girl hissed as she stormed outside, slamming the door behind her. She paused about ten steps from where I sat, eyeing me up carefully. "He told me about you."

"I really don't think Strata told you the entire story," I tried to soothe the girl with my most sensual voice, which some had described as sounding like fluid velvet. However, she bristled when I told her this, and she strode up to where Yuli stood.

"Nilla! Kayura's okay," he whined as Nilla gazed down at me. A part of me seethed at Strata for misinforming this girl, but then, a part of me knew what he'd told her was true. But as I'd said, he'd left out part of the story.

"How do you know?" Nilla snapped at Yuli after a couple of moments of trying to bore through me with her eyes. "Rowen told me there was a lady he fought, and I knew it was you when I saw you."

"Did you?" I asked, slightly interested now. How did she know that? "Very few people could've picked up on that, you see, so you're sure he didn't tell you my name? I'm sure he didn't leave out how he loathed me."

"I'm positive," she snarled, bit her lip, and then, her vision seemed to loose focus for a moment. I jumped to catch her as her knees gave way, and she landed in my arms, limp as a dead fish. However, in a couple seconds, she came to herself again and quickly struggled away from me.

"What happened?" Yuli asked, but I couldn't keep my eyes off the girl. I tried to meet her eyes, but she pushed and shoved herself out of my grasp.

"Go away!" Nilla shouted as she tugged herself away from my grasp. I stared after her, realizing what an unique girl Rowen of the Strata had managed to find.

"Nilla, Lady Kayura won't hurt you," Yuli told her as he went over and stood by her side. Her red hair fell over her face as shoved the palms of her hands over her eyes. "Nilla, are you okay?"

I waited as she came to her senses once again, and I took my seat beneath the tree again. The tiger had stayed laying in the shade, and he moved closer to me when I sat down. I ran my hand through his soft fur, and then, I realized the girl was staring at me again. "I don't get you," she muttered.

"Is that so?" I asked her. Her face knitted up in a scowl when I spoke, but then, it relaxed again, and she stared blankly at me for a moment. I wondered what she was thinking as she clearly stared out into space. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she muttered, "but that staff of yours, where did you get it?"

"Hmm," I mused as I watched her eyes play over the shimmering staff. "As the last member of the Ancient's clan, it was given to me. You see, while I was once grieviously evil, I am now the Ancient's heir."

"So you switched sides?" Nilla asked.

"Yes, I did. People change," I told her evenly, and it was not only myself that I had in mind. She nodded slowly, and then, she took several steps away from me.

"Kayura," she said without turning to look at me again, "don't say anything about this, but I saw you fighting . . . with the staff."

"I have done what you say," I told Nilla, but she kept walking away. She shook her head, though, when I told her that I had fought with the staff.

"No, this was . . . different."

(Kento)

"Okay, Mia," I moaned and watched the thin, almost anorexic Kayura rise from the chair. She walked out of the room, accompanied by White Blaze and followed by a haughty Nilla. Mia gathered us all in a circle when they'd gone out, with Yuli running at their heels.

"Guys, don't be rude!" Mia snapped and shot Rowen a look. "Kayura came back, and we're the only place she can go!"

"Can't she stay with you?" Rowen complained. Mia silenced him with a simple look. She pierced my eyes, searing my brain with that look that let me know on this issue, she was the Man.

"Kayura is staying," Mia stated and drew a breath. "And one of you is taking her out tomorrow night."

"No!" Ryo yelped. "Mia, kudos to her staying, but no, I can't go on a date with Kayura!"

"Nilla and I are going out!" Rowen blurted out in his defense. "No way, Mia."

"One of you is going to do it, or so help me, I will evict each and everyone of you," she replied gravely. I swallowed the lump in my throat. I'd rather go out with Kayura than face Mia in this mood.

"Okay, but I've got plans tomorrow," Seiji replied mildly. "Zera, Nakeisha, and I are attending an art show, and then going to a café."

"Gee, how coincidental," Ryo added and rolled his eyes. "I'm going bowling with Lee, Tomo, and Akio. It's about time we hung out together."

"Not me," I muttered. "But I'd rather be with Kayura than Seiji and the gruesome twosome."

"I think you're over reacting. Just because Zera and Nakeisha haven't really taken to you . . ." Seiji began to speak, but Rowen cut him off.

"Those two haven't taken to anybody," he mumbled, and I nodded my head in consent.

"Why not go with Kayura then?" Cye asked suddenly and looked at me. A plan began to formulate behind his eyes. "I'm planning to stay at the manor, enjoying some well deserved Cye time. It's the first time I've been back in a week!"

"Because," I replied lamely. I began to panic, gazing around at the five faces. Rowen grinned at me, while Seiji frowned, thinking of the disaster.

"You're always saying how you never get dates," Ryo said with a smirk, just coaxing the situation along. "I think you two would make an adorable pair."

"Shut up," I grumbled. Mia nodded, however, looking at me. I let my jaw drop, shaking my head.

"Yes, and we've all got plans tomorrow, and you could meet her and impress Kayura with . . . whatever skills of . . . ," Seiji stammered, trying to think of what to say.

"Yes, woo her with your gastro-intentinal abilities," Rowen teased, and I shot him a death look, which just made him chuckle. I felt sweat form on my forehead and clentched my fists, not believing they'd put me through this.

"It's a great plan," Cye told me as he rubbed his hands together, as if doubting that this would work at all. "So, what will you do?"

"I don't know. I don't even want to go! Come on, this isn't fair! She could go with Seiji, Nakeisha, and Zera," I complained in a last ditch effort.

"Did you see how Nilla liked her?" Rowen replied.

"Well, Kayura's a psyco chick like Nakeisha," I whined, but Seiji just shot me a quick look to tell me enough was enough.

"Kento, just go on the bloody date," Cye had the final word though, and I let out a huge sigh of defeat.

"I'll take Kayura home tonight," Mia told me with an overly perky smile. "I'll dress her up, take her to the mall, and you can meet her at the movies. I'll give you a schedule, so you wouldn't bungle up this date."

"Oh, joy," I muttered and plopped down on the couch. Great, I got to go out with Lady Kayura.

A/N: July 2007. I took out the song. Song fics have ran their course for me. This chapter is redone, and I added more with Kayura and Nilla for reasons pending. I thought the conversation needed to happen, too.


	15. A Date With Fate

A Date with Fate 

(Kento)

I stood along the unfeeling concrete wall. I fidgeted with the beige collared dress shirt Mia made me wear. Seiji pushed his way into helping my disaster along, and I now wore this musky cologne. I wanted to ruffle my hair, undoing the gel that Seiji put in while Cye and Ryo kept me from accidentally knocking his lights out.

I pulled out the dog eared piece of paper again. 5:35-Take Kayura to movies. Make it funny. Okay, that's where I was. 7:30-Reservations at Silver Chopsticks. Mia wrote the directions on the back. 9:00-Go to the mall, visit art stores, and get Kayura a mocha at a café. Mia also wrote, 'Can't go wrong with chocolate.' 9:30-Take Kayura dancing. Let her choose the style, even if it's ballroom dancing, Kento! Damn, I hated that woman sometimes. 10:00-Take Kayura on a moonlit walk through the park. 10:30-Catch bus with Rowen, Seiji, and Ryo.

I sighed, stuffing the paper back in my pocket. This wasn't how a date was supposed to be. Going to an art exhibet, cafés, and ballroom dancing were what Seiji, or maybe even Cye, could pull off. No, Rei Faun Kento, the dating failure, got condemned to take Kayura on Mia's romantic date. Why didn't she just take her out and save me the mess? I personally didn't understand why Kayura couldn't have been toted off with Seiji and his pair of brutal females.

I stared at the popcorn stand, inhaling the intoxicating smell of butter. Under strict orders from Mia, I couldn't order anything until Kayura got there, and I couldn't pig out while watching some stupid chick flick.

"Kento," Kayura said as she approached me. I spun around and gaped at the tall, thin figure of Kayura. Her long, navy hair hung down to her mid back. Her midnight blue eyes were accented with eye make-up, and her light skin looked almost translucent. She dressed nicely in normal clothes, and actually looked comfortable in a pair of strappy black, healed sandals. The sheer shirt, with the low neck and lacy sleeves, was the lighter shade of her eyes. It matched the plain, silky midnight blue skirt that came down to right above her knees.

"Are you going to say anything?" Kayura asked and seemed slightly embarrassed at my staring. Wait, I was staring!

"Let's go!" I exclaimed, dragging Kayura over to the concession stand. I heard Mia yell at me in my head. "Sorry, Kayura, what do you want to order?"

"A drink will be fine," she replied mildly. I got us a large popcorn, too, and I trudged to the ticket counter, wondering what in the hell we could see together. I stared at the show times, deciding I didn't like any of the movies that were playing.

"What do you want, um, to see?" I asked Kayura, hoping she'd have a suggestion from Mia.

"That poster," Kayura replied as she pointed across the cinema entrance. I stared at the poster for "Memoirs of a Geisha," which sounded vaguely like something I'd seen Kaede reading.

"Okay, two for the geisha movie," I told the ticket clerk, not remotely interested in seeing some woman in make-up. I stared down at my popcorn, feeling slightly better that I'd have some consolation for the previews and first half hour of the movie.

As we entered the theatre, all the etiquette lessons Mia had drilled me with on the phone yesterday played in my head.

_'Open the door for her.'_

_'Don't eat her food.'_

_'When she's ready to leave, you're ready to leave_.'

I tried to swallow my nerves as I let her take her seat before me. It didn't work very well, because I found myself glancing between Kayura and my popcorn, wondering if I should pay more attention to the girl or the food. I sighed and stuffed a handfull in my mouth as the previews began to roll.

(Cye)

I placed the food encrusted dishes in the sink. Kento wolfed down half the pizza, whining how terribly hungry he was going to be. I smirked, imaging Kento in the theatre, Kayura at his side. I saw him falling asleep, drooling on her.

"Can't believe we set him up," I chuckled to myself. Well, it was honestly better him than me. I'd heard a lot about Kento's insecurities deep down beneath his tough exterior, and a lot of them surprisingly involved women.

I stared around at the meticulous kitchen. Yes, shimmering like a jewel, just the way I liked it. I went upstairs, checking Mia's old room, soon to become Kayura's new room. The soft, pastel leaf boarder, beige walls, and eye pleasing, cream drapes with little silver flowers on them, were perfect for a girl. I smoothed out the pale moss green bed spread with little lavender flowers on them. It was just the way Mia told me to fix it up, and I set the Welcome to the Manor card on the beige pillow.

"Now, what to do?" I asked myself, realizing I was alone in the manor. I hadn't been here in a week because I had to stay with Kento's family. It was awesome to finally be back home. This was my home, more than than Kento's house, my family's estate in Japan, or my dorm room back in London had been a home.

I gazed out at the placid lake, which looked like glass. The full moon tipped over the horizon, and the rays spilled out of it into the crystal waters. It looked so serene, I thought to go for a walk along the lake. The evening was a little chilly, but it was lovely, ushering in the fresh breath of night.

I slipped on a pair of tennis shoes and stepped out the door into the refreshing night air. I could have walked without a jacket, but I still got little goose bumps along my arms. I walked down the slope that was covered with grass and liches and shaded by trees to the lake. Little waves lapped the shore, and I took off my shoes, walking in the water.

It was freezing, but I held my shoes and just enjoyed strolling through the cool splashing. I loved the water, and under the vast sky, filled with the stars light years away, drowned out by the bright moon, it possibly was lovelier. I hummed quietly to myself, accompanied by the night noises of crickets.

I paused, shivering in the breeze, realizing I was getting very cold. Shadows began to creep up, the last light of day totally faded long ago. I sighed, putting on my shoes, walking back to the manor. I stared out across the lake, to the other shore, wishing that the water wasn't this cold so I could swim.

A growl sounded behind me. I jumped around, gazing into two golden eyes. The animal growled and the silver rays of the moon glinted off the animal's teeth. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me towards the manor. I thought I'd out ran it, but then, I saw it lunge at me from the corner of my eye.

It gripped my left arm and swung me off balance, toppling me towards the earth. I fell and smacked my head as it landed on me. "Ow! Bloody HELL!" I screamed as it began to gnaw at my left arm. I recovered my strength and senses to kick it off. Then, I punted the stunned animal into the lake.

I grabbed my arm, running back to the house. I ran inside, shaking so badly I could hardly open the door. Blood oozed along my arm, pouring onto the cream carpet. I stumbled across the living room. I collapsed haphazardly across the kitchen counter.

Sweat mingled with the blood, and I thought I might pass out. I struggled up, reaching for the stairs. I crawled up them, slipping when I almost reached the top. I needed to stop the blood flow. I tumbled into the bathroom, falling into the bathtub. I turned on the faucet, rinsing the blood off my arm. I grabbed a towel, wrapping the gaping wound.

I groped and snatched up several more towels, too weak to stand. I slid down in my clothes into the tub that filled up with water.

I groaned, floating in and out of consciousness. Lines swirled in front of my eyes, and I felt feverish. Was I going to die from a stupid animal bite?

"No," I murmured, but I couldn't tell if it was me who spoke. I sat up in the overflowing bathtub and turned off the faucet. I tumbled out of the tub onto the floor, splashing water across the bathroom. I crawled up to the medicine cabinet, but I slipped. My head banged against the edge of the counter, and I felt myself glide down on the wet linoleum.

(Kento)

"So, um, Kayura, like the restaurant?" I asked again and stared around at the dark room. Crappy music, supposedly romantic, played in the Silver Chopsticks. I gazed at the silver candle setting between Kayura and me. If I tipped it over, would this place burn down?

"It's lovely," Kayura replied softly and studied her napkin with a stork embroidered on it. I studied the silver chopsticks, fork, knife, and two spoons. Why were there two spoons?

"So, um, having fun?" I asked, trying to be polite, and gazed at Kayura. The candlelight illuminated her face, which stared vaguely at the wall.

"Yes, of course," she replied, and her lips turned up slightly. "This is a beautiful city."

"Yup," I said and had the urge to ruffle my hair. I squirmed in my seat, waiting for our waiter.

"Kento, are you having fun?" Kayura asked blantantly, coming out of her blank stare, and I looked at her. Her eyebrows arched, asking me the question again.

"Um, well," I stuttered and then let out a sigh of frustration. What was I supposed to say to this? Kayura waited patiently for my answer. "I'm only having fun if you're having fun."

"What if I'm bored because you're bored?" Kayura replied, and the polite almost dreamy quality left her voice. I met Kayura's peircing eyes. She was being honest, and she waited to hear my answer.

"Sorry, this isn't the type of place I usually go," I told her franky, dropping the enjoying-this-crappy-restaurant guise. "Honesty, Mia gave me a schedule for a romantic date, which I've never done."

"Where are the places you normally go?" Kayura asked, leaning forward.

"Well, the arcade is my favorite, the 50's diner ice cream parlor, laser tag, clubbing, and karaoke," I explained and grinned at the fun I'd had with friends at these spots. "That's what I do, but it's not romantic stuff. I thought, well Mia thought, you might like this better."

"Kento, it wasn't fun when you slept through the movie, and you're stomach is growling," Kayura replied, but she also grinned slightly. "If you're not enjoying sitting here waiting for some meal, neither am I."

"Seriously?" I asked, and a sense of relief washed through me, but I still felt my jaw drop. Did the almighty heir of the Ancient just tell me she wanted to ditch this place?

"What do you want to do, Kento?"

"Well, rock and roll," I told Kayura bluntly. Kayura grinned, nodded, and stood up. I let her go ahead of me, and I still opened the door before her. At least I could do some of what I was told.

"Where should we go?" Kayura asked and turned to me.

"I'm so hungry!" I groaned. "The 50's diner for greasy French fries covered in chilly, a fat burger, and a milkshake to follow it up!"

"Sounds lovely," Kayura replied and smirked. Her teeth were so straight and white, it was hard to believe she was really old enough to be my ancestor by a good ten generations. I held out my arm, and she took my arm as we strolled down the street together while I pointed out a couple places I knew. I pulled out the piece of paper Mia gave me and pitched it in the trashcan, too, as we headed towards dinner.

(Cye)

I blinked, letting the bright bathroom light flood into my aching head. The room glared in fluorescent brilliance. I groaned, closing my eyes, the light burning into my retinas, making my headache worse.

I groped around on the wet floor, trying to find something. What was I looking for? I feebly looked down at all the blood soaked towels. Bloody hell, my arm! I stared down at my wrapped arm.

What a headache! I rubbed my head, looking up at the medicine cabinet. I crawled to the counter, gently lifting myself up to reach the latch. I opened the cabinet, grabbing the Advil. I wanted three, but I dumped ten into my hand. I put seven down the sink drain, taking the other three. One fell out of my hand, so I had to get another one from the bottle. Again, I dumped out ten, and put nine down the drain, swallowing the last one.

I stared at myself in the medicine cabinet mirror. My clothes were soaked from lying in the bathtub. I stared at my disheveled, sandy hair. My eyes were glazed, and sweat dripped all over me, and it caked to my skin along with the dried blood.

I looked terrible, but damn, I was hungry. I grabbed the railing, carefully walking down the stairs. Should I call the hospital? I stared at the phone, deciding I needed to eat. I made myself a huge sandwich. I carefully walked into the living room. I sat down in front of the TV and ate.

I flipped channels, just breathing, feeling my headache and the general pains in my body ease. As Homer Simpson bumbled his away across the TV, my mind unwound. I gazed down at my glass of water, noticing the glazed look was gone out of my eyes. I should be okay. The guys would be home in roughly an hour and a half. If I was still hurt, they'd know what to do.

"They'll be home!" I shouted and shot up out of the couch. I gazed, wide eyed, at the bloody mess that I'd strew across the manor. "Mia will kill me!"

I raced downstairs, grabbing buckets and bottles of as much stain remover and cleaning products as I could find. I started in the living room, removing the blood from the carpet. I worked across the carpet, all the way up to the bathroom and kitchen where I scrubbed up the linoleum.

Bloody hell, I'd left the bathroom a mess! Water seeped down the cracks in the floor, and I grabbed another armful of towels out of the closet. I emptied the full bathtub as I mopped up the lake I'd created on the bathroom floor.

I headed to the living room, spotting some of the larger, deeper set spots of crimson blood again. Then, I scrubbed up the kitchen again, making it the meticulous picture of earlier. I blow-dried the couch, where I'd sat with my sopping clothes to enjoy a sandwich.

My clothes! I raced up to my room, changing into a T-shirt and boxers. I took my wet, blood stained clothes down to the laundry room, along with the entire heap of wet towels and rags I'd managed to soak with a mixture of water and blood. I threw the towels in the washing machine. I began to scrub the blood out of my clothes and the rags. The stains were set, so I decided burning would have to do. I found a match in the cupboards, took it down into the stone basement, made a little clearing on the cement floor, and set the rags and my clothes on fire.

I watched them burn, fire extinguisher in hand just in case. When they were ashes, I dumped water on them, throwing the ashes in a trashcan, burying them at the bottom. Then, the smoke detector went off, and I scurried up the stairs to shut it off before it rang too long or automatically called the fire company. Then, I dashed down the steps with a strange buzz in my head. I took the towels out, putting them in the dryer. I walked back upstairs, checking the house. It looked untouched.

I got the towels out of the dryer and put them neatly away. I yawned, almost collapsing from shock and fatigue. I stumbled to my bedroom, deciding I'd better sleep, since I felt like my head was floating a couple feet above my body, only attached by a string. I pushed some of Kento's junk out of the way, collapsing in my bed. I pulled the sheets over myself before I turned out the lights.

(Kento)

Two and a half-hours and three milkshakes later, I faced Kayura opposite the air hockey table. She grinned at me, sliding the puck into my goal. "Game," she said triumphantly. I slammed my fist on the table, grabbing my milkshake.

"Okay, so, you beat me at laser tag, sang better than me, and now, I can't even win at air hockey!" I exclaimed in frustration. She laughed as I chugged the last of my milkshake.

"You beat me once," Kayura said teasingly as she walked over to me. I checked my watch.

"Time to go," I told her with a sigh. "What about that walk in the park? I used to go to this one playground as a kid. It's a fun place."

"Okay," Kayura said in agreement as we strolled out of the arcade which smelled of hamburgers and feet. I remembered a scrap of politeness, and opened the door for her again. We walked a couple blocks under the clear sky. I pointed Kayura to a patch of trees, guarded by a fence.

"I'll lift you over," I told her and got ready to boost Kayura up.

"Close your eyes, I'm in a skirt," she reminded me and gave me a stern glare. I shut my eyes tight, trying not to peak. Oh well, it was a little dark to see anything. I hoisted Kayura up, heard her land, and climbed over myself.

"Welcome to Han'A Park," I shouted and ran over to the merry-go-round. "Care for a ride?" Kayura grabbed the bars, and I pushed her.

"Kento, stop, my food is not sitting well," she said and laughed, jumping off. I grabbed her hand, taking her to the monkey bars. "You just want a look up my skirt, huh?"

"Of course," I said and smirked, knowing it was partly true. Still, Kayura went across with ease, but when she was done, I was already going down the slide. Man, could she move in those heals, though, and she joined me.

"Kento, you're going to break something!" Kayura shouted as I hopped onto one of the little spring animals that were made for toddlers and road it so that it practically bent in half.

"Probably," I replied and knelt at the bottom of the slide like my mom did when I was two. "I'll catch you!"

"I'm a big girl, Kento," Kayura replied playfully, but I moved as Kayura came down. I turned, running over to the swings.

"I'll push you!" I called to her. Kayura laughed, but she sat down, and I started to push her as high as the old, rusted swings would go. "Wonder what Mia will say when she finds out I ditched her schedule."

"All the better for it," Kayura replied and smiled as I took a swing beside her. "I don't think we would have had nearly this much fun at some café."

"Yeah," I said and thought about the night as I looked up at the sky. The large, full moon illuminated every part of the playground, shining its light clearly on Kayura's features, which made her look slighly ethereal. "Did you really have fun?"

"More fun that I have had in a long time," Kayura replied softly as she drug her feet a little, and she looked at me. Her deep eyes seemed so serious as the light from hundreds of miles away in space played off her eyes.

"So, what made you come back?" I asked and paused, waiting for Kayura to answer, but she just looked away. "Do you like the mortal world?"

"Yes, I do," Kayura finally responded softly, but smiled gently, looking back at me. "It is a beautiful place, Kento, and I missed it. How long I will stay, I do not know, but it is really up to you guys."

"Why? What do us five idiots have to do with anything?"

"Well, I need to stay with you, and if you do not like me staying, I will leave," she replied softly.

"Don't do that just because of us!" I yelped and jumped up, but Kayura motioned for me to sit.

"Kento, you have been more than gracious, although, you probably had a better night planned," Kayura said and frowned, turning away again.

"No, I was just going to stay home and eat all night with Cye," I told her the truth. She cocked her head, facing me again, as if judging if I wasn't trying to just make her feel special or not. "Really, that's all I would have done. I don't go on dates. Honestly, this is the first time I've gone out on anything like a real one on one date."

"Really?" Kayura asked and looked actually surprised, her brows knitting up. "I would not have guessed, since you have been so casual about it since we left the restaurant."

"Well, those aren't date type activities," I told her and rubbed the back of my neck nervously, wondering what she'd say. "You see, that's what you do to just hang with friends. It's not a romantic date."

"I am sure there are many girls out there who would prefer a more casual date," Kayura reassured me. "You have got your whole life ahead of you, do not give up on love now."

"It's hard, though, because I haven't gotten asked out ever." I dug into the dirt with my feet. "I mean, the other guys have been on dates, and then there's Kento, just one of the guys with no girl."

"I am sure if you took any girl on that date, she would find it some what enjoyable." Kayura squeezed my hand, and without a word, seemed to lift my spirits. I felt my body become rigid for a second, but she let go. "I really had a good time, Kento. You are a nicer guy than I thought."

"Awe, gee, and you're not so bad when you don't beat me at every game," I muttered and felt my face turn hot as I blushed. Kayura grinned at this, but I checked my watch. "It's ten thirty, we better go pick up the guys."

The Lair:

"How lovely!" the Lady proclaimed as she leaned against her throne of bones and laughed softly.

"He was alone?" the young, blond angelic girl asked as she approached her elated mistress. The Lady grinned maliciously as she beckoned the girl over to view the warrior of Torrent drifting off into the oblivion of sleep.

"Yes! Too perfect, catching him alone," the Lady replied, her voice taking on a more calculating tone. "My foothold is secure. So emotional, so overlooked, ah, yes, it's going to kill him."

"Dead? Will he be useful dead?" the girl asked innocently.

"No, but isolated, he's very useful," she replied and folded her hands together, her crystal going completely blurry. The voices were muted as Kayura's magic approached, shading Torrent temporarily from the eyes of the Lady. "The damage is done to Torrent, but that wretch is still with them." The Lady stared menacingly at the crystal for several moments before ordering the blond girl. "Get Kikyo."

When the room emptied, the Lady gazed back down at the fuzzy crystal, irritated her method of spying had been sabotaged. "Maybe she'll surrender for their sakes," the Lady mused as she stared down at the opaque ball. "Maybe for their lives."

A/N: July 2007

This is updated since then, but I must say, there's not a lot changed in this chapter. I took out the earlier part with the dark lady, but other than that change, not much became different. There was a weird problem with spacing when I up loaded, so I fixed that problem in the revision. There's going to be a complete thing on chapters 1-20 in my author page. I will explain in more detail what I love and hated about these parts of the story, and if I had A LOT OF TIME that I don't have, what I would go back and totally erase or totally change.

So, thanks for the time, MorganRay.


	16. Insomnia

**Insomnia **

(Kayura)

A thin ray of light pierced the sliding glass door leading to Mia's balcony. I blinked as the light fell into my eyes, pulling me from my slumber. Quietly, I sat up, taking in the serene, pastel room. I fingered the card, which all five signed, sitting on the oak nightstand. I pulled a bathrobe Mia bought for me over my silk, spaghetti strap nightgown. Pulling a pair of thick, fuzzy slippers on my feet, I tiptoed downstairs, feeling slightly insecure in my surroundings. I had just arrived last night, and I had felt rushed through the door and into the bed, so I didn't really get the chance to explore the manor.

The entire house was full of the gentle quiet of others sleeping. I reached the kitchen, giving a little start. Seiji sat sipping a cup of tea, clad only in a T-shirt and boxers. "Kayura, would you like some?" He didn't miss a beat in his normal politeness, even though he was startled to see me awake at least as much as I was startled to see him.

"Yes," I replied politely and sat down as he poured me a cup. I drank it slowly, gazing out at the quiet, cyrstal lake where a gentle layer of mist rose up into the pale, golden sky. Even though the sun had barely risen, the rays already poured across the counter tops and made them sparkle."I'm surprised you are up."

"I always get up early," his said and his lips stretched into a small smile. "Cye might be up soon, and Rowen will sleep to about one in the afternoon."

"I see," I replied and took another sip, gazing at the pensive warrior of Halo. "Tell me, what have you been doing since we last met?"

"After defeating Talpa, it was an unanimous decision to stay together, and Mia lent us her manor," he began, thinking carefully of what to say. "Then, we attended school together for the first time. Ryo and Kento had already gone there, and for Ryo, this proved a problem because he needed to make up three months of absence."

"Kento, what about him?"

"No, Kento's parents did that for him," Seiji replied and then abrubtly turned to me. He fixed his blue eyes firmly on mine. "Ryo's dad didn't like him much, and he stayed with his grandparents. We don't talk about it much, just like we don't talk about Rowen's work driven mother and father who let him grow up on his own, or Cye's dead father who left him with his mom and sister."

"I understand secrets," I told Seiji softly, and that comment seemed to sand off some of his intensity.

I gave a slow nod, and Seiji's mood lightened again. I comprehended it all silently, and he waited for me. "Then, Rowen and Cye went on dates, and Rowen was seduced by a shape shifter in the guise of his date. That girl, Nilla, whom you've met, that's who he went out with."

"That's not good," I whispered. It might be a stroke of fate that called me back if they were getting attacked again.

"No, but that started a fight between Ryo's friends and Kento's friends, and Rowen and I shamelessly took sides," Seiji's lovely face contorted into ascowl. I almost jumped, the look was so unnatural. "Cye paid the price for the fight," Seiji replied bitterly and frowned. "He almost got deported, back to London, because we'd been so stupid."

"But he did not," I barely heard my own words. "What changed this?"

"Kento learned first, and being loyal to Cye, he couldn't let that happen," Seiji replied and a small smile tugged at his lips. "He got me, and a friend, Nakeisha, and we had to help Cye. Eventually, Mia, Ryo, and Rowen found out, and they came, too, along with Kento's parents. It was quite a scene."

"You have incredible team work," I responded, feeling a small smile coming on myself. The one thing I remembered about the Ronins was their corporation with each other, although before it irked be because they were my enemies, I remembered with shame. "It doesn't surprise me, once you pulled together, that it worked out well."

"Yeah, it did, even though we have to deal with the friction between some of Kento and Ryo's friends, it's getting better," he replied and turned back to me again. "Rowen reconciled with Nilla, as you may have noticed, and killed the shape shifter, but he told her about us."

"I wondered about her attitude. Was that wise?" I inquired of Seiji, hoping he would give me an honest answer.

"Under the circumstances, yes," Seiji said and then paused. I turned, watching Ryo bumbled down the stairs.

"Morning!" he said and yawned, plopping down at the table. "Deep conversation, huh?"

"Sure," Seiji said conversationally and poured himself another glass of tea. "What brings you up so early?"

"Ah, don't know," Ryo muttered and stretched. He went to the cupboards for a bowl of cereal. He began to munch on it. "How'd it go last night?"

"With Kento?" I asked timidly but couldn't hide my smile. "He just needed brought into his comfort zone."

"Well, how the hell did you do that?" Ryo asked with a little grin. "Kento's only comfortable at the arcade and stuffing his face with greasy food."

"Well, that's what we did," I answered softly. Ryo dropped his spoon, choking on his mouthful of cereal.

"I see," Seiji chuckled. "You're brave, Kayura, that I'll give you."

"Or stupid," Ryo muttered and swallowed, and started to eat away again. "I wondered how he did it."

"What?" Kento asked as he pounded down the stairs. "What you talking about?"

"Nothing," Ryo and Seiji answered together. "Just talking to Kayura."

"Where's the bacon?" Kento quipped and frowned, grabbing a box of cereal. He poured himself a bowl, and began to eat. "I thought Cye said we're having bacon and eggs?"

"He's asleep," Ryo replied and shrugged as he kept munching on his breakfast. "He must have had people in to be this tired."

"Let's wake Rowen," Kento suggested and began on his second bowl of cereal. "I want to play some video games, and Rowen owes me some Super Smash Brothers."

"Good luck," Seiji said as he went upstairs. Kento finished his third bowl of cereal and followed him. "Kayura, you can get a shower, if you want."

I thought this a good idea, and walked up into the bathroom. I began to shower, hearing various noises in the hall. I slipped back into Mia's room, carefully concealed in a towel, to get dressed in some jeans and a T-shirt Mia had bought along with other outfits, including the one she'd picked out for my little evening with Kento.

"You are terrible," a very groggy Rowen grumbled and walked into the bathroom as I slipped into my room. "Kento, I'll kill you in whatever game we play just because you woke me!"

"I'm the game master!" Kento yelled and grinned triumphantly at me. I couldn't help but smiling back.

"Cye, get up!" Ryo yelled from inside another bedroom. "Come on, we know you had a party last night without us!"

"Cye!" Kento hollared and bounded into one of the bedrooms. I followed quietly behind, but backed out of the way as they lifted Cye out of bed, carrying him down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Kento asked the sleeping Cye. Kento and Ryo, one holding Cye's head and the other Cye's ankles walked him around the house. "He's plastered."

"The lake," Ryo suggested and opened the door, and they carried him out, throwing Cye into the lake. He jumped out, screaming curses as he dashed towards the house. Ryo and Kento laughed so hard Ryo fell on the ground, dragging Kento down with him. Cye stormed up to the house, not the least amused. He ran past me, up the stairs, and into the bathroom, right after Rowen came out bewildered, as Cye shoved him out of the way.

(Cye)

I stomped up to the bathroom, freezing cold in the chilly morning air. I threw off my clothes, jumping into a warm shower. A blaring headache assaulted me, and I rubbed my temples, trying to stop the dull knife that felt like it was digging into my skull. I threw in shampoo, scrubbing out my matted hair. I began to wash off, which calmed me down after my rude awakening.

However, when I ran the washcloth over my arm, I dropped the soap and wash cloth. My heart raced as my blood chilled in the steaming water. I gazed down at my left arm. The towel was gone, and I was sure I'd find myself in the hospital this morning, I recalled thinking. I stared at the little white line where the huge gash had been last night. I could barely see the baby scar, which could be just another battle wound. I braced myself against the walls of the shower, funny little lights swirling in front of my eyes.

"Cye, hurry up," Seiji's voice came from outside the door. I blinked, turning off the water. I crawled out of the bathtub, not trusting myself to stand up. I popped three more Advil before wrapping myself in a towel and heading to my bedroom, dodging Seiji in the hallway.

I dressed, fishing the bloody towel I'd put on my arm out of my bed. It must have come off during the night. I stashed it under the mattress and got dressed before going down stairs.

"Morning," Ryo and Kento greeted me with knowing smirks. "How'd you like the swim?"

"Hilarious," I muttered and grabbed cereal and started to eat. The food helped me stop shaking from the shock, which I thought might be from blood loss.

"Where's our bacon?" Kento complained and sat down in front of me, going for a bowl of cereal.

"Sorry, maybe tomorrow," I whispered and almost dropped my spoon. Why didn't that Advil kick in faster?

"You're plastered," Ryo told me and laughed. "We know you had a bunch of people in last night, you party animal."

"How many chicks did you take in my room?" Kento asked teasingly,and Ryo laughed.

"Nobody was here," I replied softly and tried my damndest to swallow the cereal, which felt like a rock in my mouth. "I was alone."

"Sure," Kento said sarcastically and rolled his eyes. "Dude, I'll give you credit for bringing in babes!" They continued to laugh, and I blocked them out, just trying to keep down my food. I stared at my arm, suddenly not feeling really well.

"Morning," Seiji said cheerfully as he came downstairs. "Glad to see you're up."

"I'm going to lay down," I moaned. "I think I caught the flu."

"Maybe it's mono," Ryo made a last joke.

I pushed my way past Seiji towards the stairs and found my own bed again. I pulled three blankets over me, huddling myself beneath them. I was shaking so badly by this time from probably blood lose and definitely shock. I shivered, even though the room was warm, pulling the blankets over my head to try and sleep off this absurd nightmare.

That Night:

(Cye)

I woke to see Kento, nightstand lamp on, walking to bed. "Hey, you're awake," he said as he flopped onto the mattress. I rubbed my forehead, realizing I was soaked in sweat. All of my covers and pajamas were drenched and entangled around my body. "It's time to sleep, dude, we've got school tomorrow."

"Oh," I muttered and found, after apparently sleeping all day, I wasn't tired. "I'm going to get a quick snack and get back to sleep."

I stood up as Kento turned off the light and groped my way down the stairs, trying not to slip, and I felt like I might have some kind of cold, or at the worst, rabies. I opened the fridge, going for a turkey sandwich. I walked in the living room, hearing the soft hum of the television. Sprawling the length of the couch, covered in the afghan, but otherwise in nothing but boxers, sat Rowen. He blinked a couple times, and then grinned at me, motioning for me to come in the room.

"Welcome to Rowen's insomniac theatre," he said with a smirk. "I was just going through the line up tonight."

"That's right, you stay up to one or two every night, er, morning," I said as the quiet, darkness of the house enveloped me. I could hear Kento's snores a little, but other than the strange glow and hum of the TV, everything was dark.

"Yes, I do," Rowen muttered and nodded. "You should try it more often. Great fun, drowning everything out in total solitude in the early morning hours."

"I'm more of a day light person," I replied and leaned back in the reclining chair. I bit into my sandwich, enjoy the feeling of relaxing. "But this'll do."

"Glad to hear it," Rowen said and flipped through a listing of what was on, looking at movie summaries. He paused, looking up at me. "Did you have people in?"

"Hell no," I mumbled. "I spent the night alone. I'm just so down cause I picked up the flu at school."

"You seem fine now," Rowen replied and squinted. I shrugged, trying to pretend I wasn't suffering from a warped case of rabies.

"You know, the fever is down," I told Rowen, who nodded, ignoring me, perusing the movie listings again.

"Channel surfing it is," Rowen told me and grabbed the remote, flicking through stations. "Ah, late night talk shows." Rowen paused, not liking the guests, and then flipped the remote again. "South Park?" Rowen asked and stopped the flicking for a second. I shook my head.

"It's not a favorite," I told Rowen and took my plate into the kitchen, having eaten my whole sandwich. What a relief, though, I could keep food down.

"Ah, want to watch a movie?" Rowen asked and stopped on South Park anyway. He half-watched it, though, more interested in what movie I wanted to watch. He got bored, claiming a rerun, and began to channel surf again.

"How late do you stay up?" I asked. Rowen shrugged. "You and Seiji are quite an unlikely pair."

"Yeah," he told me casually and grinned. "Seiji is the early morning guy. You're always awake at noon, making lunch, cleaning house. Ryo's hyper in the afternoon, training and such. Kento's obvious favorite time is dinner. This is my time."

"I've noticed," I replied and grinned at Rowen. "That's what makes this house so great."

"Yeah, if we spent any more time together, we'd kill each other," Rowen chuckled. "All the differences make sure we never see each other long enough to have real arguments."

I grinned because Rowen was all too right. We kept ourselves in our secrets. The times of day we enjoyed were just one separation between us that kept us sane. Rowen stopped flicking suddenly. I turned my attention to the TV. A man was restlessly pacing an apartment in jeans and a T-shirt, and I didn't reconize the movie.

"Good old AMC, playing horror classics in the wee hours," Rowen said with a smirk as he watched the TV instead of looking at me. "Familiar with horror?"

"No," I replied wdith a shrug. "It's not a favorite of mine."

"Oh well, this is an older one, and I don't find it really scarey, but the special effects aren't terrible. Not terrifying, but interesting, though," Rowen explained as the guy kept pacing, and I knew something was going to happen.

"What's the movie?"

"American Werewolf in London," Rowen told me casually, obviously having seen the movie. "It's one of the better done werewolf movies, and my personal favorite. The creepiest part is when the guys mutilated best friend shows up. The transformation is probably the best done scene, though, which is what we're about to see."

"Really?" I asked and looked at the screen, noticing the guy was transforming. It wasn't computer generated, but for the time Rowen said it was made, it was pretty dare believable, and I felt my skin tingle.

"Familiar with the lore of werewolves?" Rowen asked and ignored the TV completely, instructing me on horror history.

"Not really," I told him as I stole gazes between the TV and Rowen.

"Werewolves bite people, changing them into werewolves," Rowen began. "Then, on the full moon, they change. There are many variations about how werewolves look. This movie displays the traditional, four legged, large dog with glowing eyes."

"Large dogs?" I asked in a squeaky voice and swallowed hard. I thought about the animal at the lake.

"Yeah, on full moons," Rowen said and turned his attention back to the TV, where the guy went into convulsions. Rowen watched, then turned back to me. "The bite, if it doesn't kill you immediately, changes the person into a werewolf. Then, the bite heals really fast, so the new werewolf doesn't die of blood lose."

"Oh," I replied shakily and stared at my arm. I should have gone into shock because of the blood lose last night. I should have, but there wasn't a visible scar I could see in the dark.

"Proper to show this after the full moon last night," Rowen said as he watched the TV. I felt my stomach reel. The full moon was last night! Dear God, but this was all mythology! Werewolves didn't exist!

Yes, they didn't exist like demons didn't exist. They didn't exist like the Netherworld didn't exist. They didn't exist like shape shifters or mythical armors. I leaned forward, ready to hurl on the carpet.

"You okay?" Rowen asked. I shook my head and staggered towards the stairs.

"Fever and turkey not mixing well. Going to bed," I muttered and stumbled up the stairs, gripping the railing tight in my white hands.

(Seiji)

The dreary, miserable day continued, since the rain had returned. There hadn't been a flood again, but it sprinkled every other day, and the clouds never seemed to leave since the floods. The air chilled, which was unusual for the late spring. The leaves had all begun to bloom on the trees, hardly any of the blooms of spring remaining as the lush green replaced them. In the mist of it all, we attended Han'A High, gathering near the gym.

"Where's Cye?" Zera asked. Everyone was groggy and dressed in our uniforms, milling around in the crowd. "How dare he skip."

"He's sick," Ryo muttered and shrugged. Kento leaned against the wall, looking like he was about to sleep standing. Akio joined us today, talking to Nakeisha. Rowen was yet no where to be seen.

"Oh, bummer," Nakeisha mumbled and yawned. She began to complain about the homework load. I frowned, thinking on Cye's sudden illness. He'd come down with it Saturday, probably. I'd gone in to see him, and he'd whined a terrible case of the flu. There was vomit in the toilet, which proved he'd regurgitated over the night.

"Aw, Nilla," Rowen whined playfully, and I turned to see where they were. Nilla grinned in triumph as she strode toward us. "Come you! You know you hate me!"

"I know," Nilla said and laughed as she ruffled Rowen's hair as his mouth stretched in a yawn. Rowen wrapped both arms around her waist, kissing her neck, but she shook him off. "No, Rowen, I'm not asking you. I might not go."

"You'll go if I go!" Rowen exclaimed with an unusual surge of energy this early. He also made a pathetic attempt to puff out his chest. "I'll ask you!"

"Rowen, that's not how it goes," Nilla said with a sigh.

"What?" I asked, slightly miffed. "What's going on?"

"Takanowi Fajido is having his anual let's-dress-up-in-traditional-Japanese-clothes-and-come-to-my-huge-house open house," Nilla said with a sigh. I guessed that it was not _really_ called by that name. "Rowen wants me to go with him. He's been tagging around all morning since we heard it was next month."

"What?" I asked and felt my breath leave me. "You mean the Fajido's openhouse? I don't even go to this school with him, and I've gone to it."

"That's right, you hid in the guys bathroom every morning so girls would stop asking you when you got a date," Rowen said with a chuckle. "Ah, Seiji, so it begins again."

"I think about five dozen girls asked me," I muttered. "And I took about a dozen to that party, though, so no one felt too bad."

"Smooth," Zera muttered and snorted. She rolled her eyes, ignoring everything I said.

"Nilla, why don't you want to go?" Ryo asked teasingly with a grin. "Could it be, Tomo, because of last time?"

"Maybe," Tomo replied with a snicker. "I forget who you went with, Nilla. Remind me."

"Shut up," Nilla growled. "You know who I went with!"

"That's right," Ryo grinned. "You went withTakanoiw Fajido! How could I forget? It was a great time when he ditched you and made out with some super star he invited."

"That's great," Nakeisha replied. "Whoa, back up."

"Yes, I went," she growled. "He was rich, I was stupider, and I asked him. He blew me off and flirted with other girls the entire night."

"Great fun," Ryo mumbled and snorted. "You were trying to get revenge on this other guy, right?"

"Yeah, tried to make another guy jealous by going with a rich pig," Nilla said with a sigh. "Wow, did that blow up in my face."

"Should have known better," Nakeisha replied and shook her head. "Stupid girl, learned your lesson."

"So I'm not going," Nilla told everyone and threw back her head.

"Come on!" Rowen pleaded with her. "I'm not going to cheat!"

"I'm not going either," Zera said steelily and scowled. "Girls always can ask guys and refuse them, too, you know."

"I agree," Nakeisha affirmed. "Any girl in this group can ask anyone, including you, Seiji."

"Thanks," I said blandly. I turned, hearing a bubbly laughter coming toward us. Lily bounded up the hall, grinning from ear to ear with only those bright, sparkling eyes dwarfing her mouth. Akio's face brightened slightly as she approached.

"Is Cye here?" Lily asked, anxiously eyeing the group. Her face fell slightly when she didn't see him. "I wanted to ask him to the open house."

"No, he's ill," I responded politely. Akio's mood turned instantly bitter. He turned away to prevent anyone from seeing his unusually angry face. "He's got the flu."

"How terrible!" Lily gasped in her over the top way. "Tell him I asked. I'm the first, right?"

"Yeah," I told her reluctantly. No one else seemed too thrilled to talk to her. "You're the first. I'll tell him."

"Thanks!" Lily said cheerily and ran off. Zera and Nakeisha both scowled in disdain. Rowen raised his eyebrows, wondering if she was really that thick. Ryo and Nilla exchanged a sympathetic glance. Akio kept anyone from seeing his face to conceal his disappointment and bitterness, well, as much rage as he could muster. Kento stared out the window, not caring an ounce, like he'd been doing all morning.

"You should really tell her Cye doesn't like her," I told Nilla. "She can't seem to get it on her own, sadly."

"I know," Nilla said with a frown. "She's my best friend, and I don't have the heart to tell her. I don't want to crush her hopes. She talks about Cye so much!"

"Oh," Ryo groaned. "Cye took a handful of Advil after their date. He can't stand her. He doesn't want to ditch her outright, though."

"Oh good, the one thing that'll get Lily off his back, he won't do," Nilla replied and rolled her eyes. Fortunately, the _tyourei_ began. I bounded off to my spot, anxious to get away from the tense scene. As I took my spot I stared anxiously around as I saw the group of girls from my class giggle as they passed me. I spaced off, thinking hard on Kento's silence. His mood bothered me, but I didn't know if he would talk to me. Maybe to Cye, who wasn't feeling well at all, but at least Kayura was at home to check on him.

A/N: July 2007: One again, grammar fixing is the principle reason for this redo. I'm trying to get through these redos so that I can post the new chapters. This took forever, because I'm rearranging this story. If this explained something with Cye, all the better. Thanks to my loyal reveiwers.


	17. Protective Barriers

**Protective Barriers**

(Cye)

I groaned as I felt my head pounding. I opened my eyes, brain burning with the sound of the knock on my door. I sat up, and the blasted knocking stopped. I squinted through the afternoon light at Kayura. She wore jeans and a T-shirt, which struck me as strange at first. "What?"

"I'm going out to meditate," Kayura told me and smiled kindly. I couldn't force a smile. "Just making sure you're well, Cye. Do you need anything?"

"No," my raspy voice answered. "Just not feeling great."

"Okay," Kayura said as she walked out of the room and glanced back at me, making sure I was alright before she shut the door. I heard her walk down the stairs and exit the house. I walked to the window, watching Kayura walk down towards the lake.

What should I do? I slipped out of the room. It was Monday, and the house was empty. I should be at school, but I wasn't. I think I'd thrown up last night after I talked to Rowen.

I found myself in the bathroom, in front of the mirror. I stared at my scraggly hair, matted with sweat. My eyes developed bags in a couple days from not a moment's true rest. My face looked unhealthy and pasty. I didn't think I'd kept down a meal in days.

_'Familiar with the lore of werewolves_?' I heard Rowen's voice in my head. I swallowed, washing the sweat off my face. I stared back up at myself. I played the scene in my head several times, watching my expression.

I leaned over the toilet, a dry heave coming up. As I crouched over the toilet bowl, I knew. I just knew. There was no other way to explain it. No way to deny something like that could exist. Several months ago, I would have laughed. I'd fought a demon since then, so, this wasn't so ridiculous.

"Well, Cye," I muttered and stared at myself again. I scowled at myself. "Damn good Ronin you make."

What if I couldn't use the armor? I watched my eyes widen. I strode out of the bathroom, walking around the house, pacing in nervousness. What would happen when the guys discovered me? They would, too, because they weren't stupid.

What happened when Kayura found me out? Would she kill me? Was I in the same category as demons? Shape shifters?

I gazed at the knife drawer. Would a knife kill me? Maybe, but didn't I need something silver? Would putting on my armor kill me?

What happened if I killed someone else?

That's when my nerves snapped. I raced up stairs, finding a silver sword that adorned the wall in the study. I ripped it down, racing towards the woods in the opposite direction Kayura had went.

The perfect newspaper story came to mind as I ran farther into the forest, not feeling the pine needles and sharp twigs under my feet. 'Boy Found Murdered in Woods,' but no, that wasn't right. 'Crazy Boy Commits Suicide,' might be better, but what a stupid story because Rowen would see right through it.

I paused, finding myself in a clearing. I stared at the sword, glistening in the sun. It resembled one of Ryo's katinas. I sighed, lifting it up to my heart's level. I pressed it to my chest, hands trembling. I swallowed, shivering and shaking so hard I might hit my heart, neck, or stomach.

"Kami," I whispered, tears falling down my checks. I dropped the sword, grabbing my kanji. I shivered, holding it up so it glistened in the sun rays. I called my armor, wondering if I would die. In a whirl, I was wearing the armor of Torrent.

My headache left, and I breathed as the trembling stopped momentarily. Maybe I wasn't condemned to hell after all. I could still wear my armor. I picked up my triton, twirling it in the air. I aimed it at a tree. "Super wave smasher!"

My attack flew straight and true, as strong as ever. I grinned, feeling the familiar comfort of my armor. Yes, yes, I was Cye of Torrent, the Ronin of trust. I abandoned the elated feeling, taking off my armor. The shivers returned, and I wished for the comfort back. Picking up the sword, I walked back towards the manor, the dark thoughts draining from my head.

I walked inside, heading up the stairs. I placed the sword back, looking around the study. What did I know about werewolves? I stared at the shelf of books. I gazed at them, until I came to one that read FOLK LORE OF THE WORLD. I flipped to the index, going to the section devoted to werewolves.

I read through it quickly. I stared at various horrific pictures. I closed the book with a sigh. I knew the fabled origin of werewolves, what would happen when I changed into a horrific monster, and how to kill myself. I stared around the study. I stopped dead, looking at the stack of scrolls. Kayura's scrolls, the Ancient's scrolls, might have an answer. I began to rummage through them.

I finally found a set about evil beasts. I read through the stack until I hit the spot I wanted. The paragraph on the yellowed scroll read:

_Werewolves, vicious dogs originating from the Netherworld, were first introduced to the mortal realm during ancient times. They were brought to create new servants for the Netherworld demons. When a human is bit, they change into one of these creatures. However, this is only on the full moon. There are six full moons in the twenty nine day cycle in the Netherworld. Another way, whenever the demons desire, to transform humans is by placing a cursed collar around their neck. However, these are rare, and failed to completely control the human. The process is reversible. However, the bite is not. Eventually, this method of making human slaves became outdated for the demons, and they found more efficient, gruesome ways of making human slaves._

"Great," I muttered and flipped to the end of the scroll set. I paused, reading a couple interesting sentences.

_There are several ways, however, to prevent or diminish the effect of a transformation from human to beast. These come in the form of amulets, spells, and magical barriers._

I quickly found the huge bundle of scrolls on all of those. I flipped around in the amulet section, realizing quickly that I couldn't use an amulet. That only happened to work and save werewolves, apparently, in movies only. I looked through the spells, but nothing about werewolves was even mentioned there.

"Magical barriers," I began reading the scroll out loud, "Are the most potent protection, coming in the form of external and internal protections. External protections consist of protection given by another. This could be a spell or ambulant, or a powerful magical barrier. Internal consists of elemental powers possessed by that person, or magic naturally wrought in that person."

I decided to read through external. It basically told me the same thing as spells and amulets. Great, nothing I could do there. Then, I read internal, finding it a lot more helpful immediately:

_Internal protection is probably the greatest when suffering from demonic spells. Inflicting control over a normal human is easy for a demon, but when a spell is inflicted over a person who already has magic residing inside of them, the demon may find it hard to take control of or use that person. The magic residing in this person, especially strong elemental magic, may be strong enough to combat the demon's spell, making them unable to be controlled._

_The easiest magical persons to control are simple mages. Those with simple abilities to cast spells, without elemental magic, can be subdued easily with a spell that is mediocre. Their mage powers may hold off the demon, or may slow the spell significantly, but eventually, without outside interference, they will fall to a decently cast spell._

_Those possessing powers of the mind (such as telekinesis, telepathy, teleportation, and astroprojection to give examples) are among the hardest magic bearers to control. Their mental powers break down the common bindings in demonic spells. Their mental strength prohibits the demon from controlling their actions because they cannot control their mind, undermining the motive for the spell._

_Healers, whose blood naturally has spell fighting power, rarely ever become victims to demonic spells. A healer's blood is an antidote to the spell in itself. Several powerful demon lords have contrived spells to bring down healers, but they are rare, and exceptionally difficult to perform. The common way a demon kills a healer is by decapitation and a gruesome death, because they are immune to their spells. Healers which require a magical object, however, may be seperated from their power source and destroyed, but empathic healers, those with natural healing abilities without outside interference, are extremely hard to bring under the control of a spell._

I groaned, hoping this was finally over. I didn't possess any of those qualities! I wasn't a healer or telepathist. I wasn't even a simple mage!

_Elemental powers are the most effective against a curse or magical spell. Those who are born with one of the five elements infused in them are able to summon that element's protection whenever they seek it. Instead of relying on a weapon infused with elemental magic, they may use the magic inside themselves. Their elemental strength is the most helpful when around their particular element. Circling themselves with that element, demonic curses will find it hard to break down the old, pure elemental strength. Elemental magic is probably the most effective, not just because it is strong, but because it can totally destroy some curses, turn some back on their makers, and overcome the curse, using it to the elementor's benefit. Destroying the curse usually takes place before the curse has been placed and set upon the elementor. This may be assisted with healing magic. Turning the curse back on the maker is done directly when the curse hits or before it leaves the hands of the demon maker. This method takes precious calculations and foreknowledge of the curse. It's most often used in open battle, where the elementor is using the help of battle magic. Using the curse to the elementor's benefit requires intense self-sacrifice and the aid of external magic. Submersing themselves in their element, and finding a strong external foothold, this method is the ideal triumph, but it's usually painful for the body, mind, and soul of the elementor who wishes to overcome the curse. However, the five Ronin armors as especially designed for this type of combat (although the four seasonal armors may be applied, also), being the perfect balance of elemental magic, healing powers, and magic-infused weaponry for the elementor that wears them._

I grinned, throwing all the papers back in the bag. That's why my armor had behaved like it did. It was made to protect me from curses. I went to leave the study, freezing at the door.

The scroll said elementors wore the armors. I walked back towards the scrolls. What were elementors? If elementors wore the armors, then did that make all of us elementors?

"Cye," Kayura's voice floated through the house. I scurried out of the study, deciding to satisfy my curiosity later.

"Afternoon," I said aimbly and walked into the kitchen, collapsing onto a chair. Kayura opened the refrigerator, asking me where various ingredients were so she could cook. I watched someone else start the cooking.

"You still don't look well," Kayura told me as she cast a sidelong glance at me.

"Well, I haven't eaten in days," I told her with a sigh. "Maybe some soup will help. The cans are right above you."

"Soup?" Kayura said incredulously and pulled out a can and laughed. She placed it back in the cupboard. "Is that all cold remedies are today? Soup?" Kayura walked outside, coming in with an assortment of plants. She brewed some tea as she browsed through the spices. She crushed up a lot of the plants. Then, she took out some sugar, coating some strawberries in sugar, honey, and some other sweet ingredients. Then, she grabbed fruit, making a smoothie, adding in the occasional odd ingredient.

"Okay," Kayura gave me a cup of tea. "Drink the tea slowly, but drink it all, or most of it."

"Now?" I asked and put down my empty glass. The herbal tea warmed me, and I knew she added something to it, but I couldn't name it. "Eat all of this." Kayura placed in front of me a teacup full of a nasty sludge.

"What is it?" I asked and picked up the spoon, wondering if I should touch it. The putrid smell made me wrinkle up my nose. Most of the plants had gone in there, along with various things Kayura just seemed to randomly add.

"It'll be good for you, although it's disgusting in its own right," Kayura explained and went back and brought three of the coated strawberries over. "After you eat it all, eat these. It'll take away the taste, although you might not feel too great."

I held my breath, swallowing the sludge. If I went outside and ate dirt, I didn't think it could have tasted worse. Maybe if I gnawed on the bark of a moldy tree for a while I might have got a similiar taste. Afterwards, I couldn't get the rank taste or smell out of my mouth. It was gritty, scratching my esophagus when I swallowed. I slowly ate the three strawberries, glad the taste was going away, but I was afraid I was going to vomit it all up.

"Drink as much of the smoothie as possible," Kayura commanded me kindly and handed me a big glass filled with the smoothie. "A sip or the whole thing, it makes no difference." I drank about a fourth of it before I thought my stomach could take no more. My entire body seemed relaxed, except for my stomach, which had never digested anything like this.

"Go lay down," Kayura said soothingly and smiled, taking everything back to the sink. She put the smoothie in the refrigerator, having a glass of tea herself. "You'll feel better in a while. Better than soup, that's for sure."

"Where'd you learn that?" I asked, feeling relaxed. The headache and pains eased up, but I rubbed my scar compulsively.

"When I was young," she began and a sad smile came over her pale, thin face. She looked like a phantom, haunted by something instead of haunting someone. "It's a simple recipe. In all honesty, I haven't used it in years."

"It's good," I reassured her and felt my lips tug up into something of a smile. "Glad you remember it." I lay down on the couch, realizing Kayura's brew was even taking off the side effects of a curse. I listened to Kayura cook, floating in and out of consciousness, yet I rested more than since I'd gotten bitten.

"Hey," Kento shouted as he walked into the house. I looked up, realizing I must have fallen asleep. Kento's heavy bulk plopped down on the couch, jolting me awake. "Playing hooky?"

"Oh yes," I muttered.

"Cye's a bad boy now, Kento," Ryo sighed, sitting on the other side of me. Both of them picked me up, and I jolted awake.

"No lake," I groaned. They dropped me back down on the couch, and now I was fully awake. Ryo made for the game counsel as Kento browsed through the games.

"How about it, Cye?" Ryo asked and looked up questioningly at me. "Feel like taking on Kento and me?"

"Guys," I muttered. I didn't feel like it. Kayura's remedy made me groggier by the minute. I thought about going up to my room and falling asleep for days.

"Pac man!" Kento yelled and threw in the old game. "It's time for something old school! Cye, man, you can handle bad animated ghosts."

"Sure," I stopped resisting and held out my hand. Ryo plunked the controller in my hands. I propped myself up on my elbow. The game came on, and I was the little blue Pac man. I half-heartedly moved the blue dot-munching machine around the screen. I felt so dysfunctional I lost all my lives in five minutes. Ryo and Kento, however, kept playing, fully declaring an all out Pac man war.

"You look beat," Seiji said as he and Rowen walked in the room. Seiji sat down beside me, and Rowen plopped in a chair.

"Not much better than last night," Rowen said and snorted. "I had to help you out of the bathroom where you regurgitated that turkey sandwich."

"Sorry," I appologized and grinned slightly. Everything became more disconnected the longer I stayed awake. "Kayura gave me some medicine."

"Really?" Rowen said and looked interested. "Is it working? What did she give you?"

"Something from the Ancient's clan," I replied and shrugged. Rowen looked impressed. Seiji seemed to be half listening, thinking of something he wanted to say. "It's working fine."

"Lily asked you to Takanowi Fajido's openhouse, which is something like a glorified costume party, except with traditional attire because his father iscelebrating ancestrial heritage," Seiji explained. "I've gotten asked by about every girl in school."

"An openhouse, like a dance?" I groaned. I wasn't drugged up enough to forget what dances meant. Dances could be certain doom to a shy guy like myself. I remembered previous co-ed dances I'd attended while in London.

I stood on the shoulders of my friends. I was the lightest and most spry. I was supposed to peek in the bathroom, find out what the girls were talking about. I fell off the top, into the bathroom. It was a silly ploy to figure out who some twittery girls liked, and some of the guys were getting desperate. I'd decided to get bold, another year, and sit with the prettiest, most popular girl in school. I was talking and flirting my heart out. A troupe of muscle-heads walked over and gave me a simple threat. I backed off, but got a black eye before the end of the day.

"Feel the same way I do?" Seiji's voice kept me from having to remember every terrible dance experience or every awkward moment with women.

"Every time, something goes wrong," I sighed. "I need to sleep, guys, I'm still feeling way too sick to go to school tomorrow, or maybe even Wednesday."

Seiji grabbed me under one arm, and Rowen took me under the other. They lugged me up the stairs into my room. They laid me on the bed, where I leaned against the wall, trying to stay awake a few more seconds.

"I'm surprised Kento isn't sick," Seiji said and visibly grimaced at Kento's side of the room. Clothes lay strewn about along with paper, CDs, and various objects. I guess I'd gotten used to the odd odor. "He's so messy, I think he'd be ill all the time."

"Yeah, Kento has a hygiene problem," Rowen said and smirked. Kento's mess even spilled over onto my side, and usually, I'd have cleaned the room. I looked around vaguely, realizing that my side looked almost as bad as Kento's side.

"See you, thanks," I muttered, letting my head flop onto the pillow. Small, clipped thoughts of werewolves and magical barriers raced through my head before I shut my eyes.

(Seiji)

I sighed, leaning against the beige sink. The handle had broken off long ago, and every part but near the drain was covered in scum. The soap dispenser broke in the upstairs men's bathroom, so moldy residue clung to the sides, smelling slightly rank. One urinal was clogged up, and the pipe leaked on the other. The toilet worked fine, however, but there wasn't any toilet paper. Of course, I didn't want to go the bathroom, just to hide until my classes started.

"Seiji! You've been in there too long, even to be taking a crap!" Nakeisha shouted, and I heard the door open, and Nakeisha charged into the bathroom.

"You're not supposed to be in here," I groaned as Zera followed the shorter, but just as bold, Nakeisha into the dilapidated guy's restroom. "It's a guy's restroom for a reason."

"Sean leaves the door open a lot," Nakeisha said and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I was told this one never was used."

"Why here?" Zera asked and wrinkled her nose. "Smells."

"Yeah, well," I mumbled, not sure how to explain the dance experiences. Walking into the building, being mobbed by girls, finding notes in and on my desk, and one was even placed on the spot where I stood for the _tyourei_ in the morning. Having gotten presents and practically a book bag full of love notes, I fled. Even before, I'd never been through anything like this, mostly because I hadn't gone to the same school as Takanowi Fajido.

"How do you know Takanowi Fajido?" Nakeisha asked. "It's common knowledge the school is invited, but I've heard from a little bird you've gone before now."

"I was the kendo champion," I said wearily. "I got a personal invite."

"Aren't we specail, but you have to go to class, even if you think you can feign sickness for part of the day," Nakeisah snapped. She ushered me towards the door, where Zera parted ways and went to class, which she had with Rowen.

I took my usual seat, suddenly realizing what a high concentration of girls this class had again. I recognized several of the girls, since they always flirted and had asked me to the dance several times already.

"Seiji," the skinny girl with large, almond eyes on my left, purred. "I baked you cookies, but I couldn't find you to give them to you."

"Here's a note," the tall, round faced girl on my right said and winked. "I wrote it myself and put my favorite perfume on it."

"How about the dance, Seiji?" The tall, sweet voiced girl behind me asked as she leaned forward. "I asked you this morning."

"I asked him yesterday afternoon," the loud-mouthed girl diagonal to me blurted out. "Isn't that right?"

"Well, I asked him six times," the girl in the back shouted as I stared anxiously for the teacher to get into the room. All eyes turned on the girls, with me caught in the middle. Several guys scowled, a couple cracked their knuckles. Why was this teacher late almost everyday?

"The person who asked him first should get to go with him," the loud mouth girl blurted in the middle of the ramble of female bickering. A bunch of girls nodded, but the noise didn't really stop.

"That would be me," the girl who first cornered me on the day I came to Han'a High said sternly. "I asked Seiji yesterday after this class. I also asked him thirteen other times."

All the girls went quiet, impressed by her obvious victory. "Well, will you go with me, Seiji?"

"I could go with a couple of you," I said calmly and flashed a smile, trying to amend the situation. A couple girls looked hopeful, but several frowned.

"No, I don't share," the leading girl snapped and leaned her elbows on my desk. "How about it? I asked first and the most." She twirled her shiny hair, sticking her breasts right in my face. I remembered her, being the first. I remembered her, asking me every time we passed in the hallway. What to say? Just saying no would get me killed, probably.

"I asked him first." Everyone's head darted right beside me where Nakeisha sat. She'd turned around, a bored expression on her face. "If you'd let him talk and get your boobs out of his face, that's what he'd tell you."

"No way," the pushy girl replied sarcastically and laughed for a while with most of the class following her. Nakeisha sighed, crossing her arms, stern and bored. I read her eyes for a joke, but I didn't see any. No, she meant this. It was the look of a hunter catching the wild boar.

"She's not serious," the girl said airily and finally stopped laughing, noticing that I hadn't laughed along. She stared at Nakeisha's stiff features, determined to win. "That little tom boy didn't ask you out. She's only some little . . . nobody."

"Smarter than you," Nakeisha retorted and smirked, but it was one of the growling wolf. The other determined girl scowled, turning back to me. "Answer me."

"Answer me," Nakeisha told me stiffly and leaned back in her chair, patiently waiting. I stared at the flock of girls, like a pack of sea gulls.

"Yes, she did ask me, before the tyourei yesterday," I told the very pushy girl smoothly, maintaining my composure. She looked like she swallowed a couple rocks, though.

"Since you didn't want to share Seiji, all the times you asked him don't count," Nakeisha spiked her answer into the girl's face. "Got that?"

Then, the teacher walked into the classroom a couple minutes late, as usual. We all stood up and bowed politely, and every one took their respected seats. By then, everyone went silent, and I relaxed into a remotely boring class. I gazed, now and again, at the side of Nakeisha's head. We'd gone out together, along with Zera, and I didn't deny a bond of friendship. What prompted this?

_'I despise the things_,' Nakeisha remarked yesterday at lunch in the art room. '_Guys are so impolite, and they sound so pointless. Sean really left a bad taste in my mouth for them. Plus, Zera doesn't want to go, so I'm not going. It'll be a girl's night in_.'

I shook my head, trying to remember if that was the same Nakeisha. Did she just ask me to this huge, cultural openhouse? True, she saved my sanity, but she asked me, and I remembered her trooping in the guy's restroom this morning, which was an unprecidented act of bravado. Her sudden fondness and interest in my love life miffed me.

'_You'll be going, I suppose?_' I remembered her asking yesterday.

'_Yes, I took several girls with me at my old school_,' I'd replied blandly, disappointed that trick didn't work here.

Suddenly, the class was over, but Nakeisha took no time in bolting for the door in the couple minutes before class. I jumped out of my seat, reaching the door a couple people after Nakeisha. I sprinted, knocking into some people to catch her before she disappeared into the bathroom.

"Wait," I commanded sharply and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around. She looked annoyed, her eyes brooding. She tried to tug away, embarrassed at starting another scene. "I want to know why."

"I asked you to Takanowi Fajido's openhouse," Nakeisha replied defensively, turning towards me. However, she looked more flustered than furious. Her calm features, like a child admitting stealing a cookie from the jar, conveyed all truth. She shuffled her feet, a little color coming over her caramel cheeks.

"Why, I thought you didn't want to go," I asked and paused, believing the impossible.

"You needed my help," she replied gruffly and shrugged like she'd grabbed a pencil for me. "I'd like to go with you, hang out with the guys. Maybe it'd be okay."

"Zera?" I asked tentively. Nakeisha frowned and gave a shrug to my question. I checked my watch quickly. We had two minutes, and we'd be late to our next class. However, this didn't bother me, fully suspended in this moment. I felt like I hung from a bungie cord, trapped in mid-air, waiting to bounce back up.

"She probably won't want to go, still," Nakeisha said and cast her eyes away from me with a shrug. "I'll ask her, okay? See if she wants to go with someone."

"Alright," I said with releif, turning Nakeisha around to go to our next class. "Thanks."

"Welcome," she replied stiffly as she relaxed into her typical mood state. Her usual smirk plastered back on her face, she said, "You own my one hell of a date for that."

(Rowen)

Something always seemed to bother me right after the tyourei. Did I stay up too late? I didn't care. I shrugged my way into study hall, taking my customary seat in the back of the room. I plopped open a Calculus book, and began to do a couple problems for practice.

"My, my, Rowen the genius," Kaede said as she took her traditional seat beside me, also putting down her Calculus book. "You sleep, daydream, and scribble stuff all over that notebook, yet you still have the best grade in the class."

"I guess," I replied blandly, knowing it was true. "I understand lots of things."

"Hmm," Kaede muttered and stuck the end of her pencil suggestively in her mouth. I shook my head and tried to efface the images. Her little sexual antics always amused, but sometimes they grated, against my mind. "My, my, I do love a man with understanding."

"Can't help you there," I muttered and thought of Nilla, instantly chiding myself for those moments when I slipped into watching the beautiful siren. Her long hair was pulled up in chopsticks, and she wore the typical uniform, if not just a bit too tight and revealing for my comfort. Her eye shadow was a soft, attractive, metallic blue. She was the only girl I'd ever seen able to pull off any shade of blue eye shadow.

"Calculus isn't all that interesting," Kaede replied and did a couple problems, then started to tap her pencil against the desk. I looked up from my work. A relaxed boredom played across her face.

"What?" She asked and gave me a puppy dog gaze, like an innocent panther. She knew what she was doing, but didn't quite know its effect.

"Stop flirting with me," I asked her wearily.

"I'm sorry, then," she said and smiled good-naturedly, but I didn't think she was all that sorry. "How about I put on this nice dress code regulated sweater and button it up." She did, and I became more relaxed and able to look at her.

"You can be a real whore," I mumbled and smirked at Kaede, who innocently continued to scribble in her notebook. She chuckled, nodding her head slowly. "And you annoy over half the school to no end."

"Half the people I annoy would hang out or get with me at any chance I gave them," she replied and scowled in instant disdain. The mood change was momentarily terrifying, like watching a blue sky produce a tornado.

"Picky, picky," I chided her. "Why do you hang out with me?'

"Because, you don't want me," she replied with a lazy shrug. I frowned slightly, understanding remotely what she meant.

"It's so hard when everyone wants you, Narcissus," I threw in a sarcastic comment. She raised her eyes, and grabbed my notebook, flipping through it. I reached, only half interested in getting my notebook back, just glad she'd stopped her sex show.

"When the cold of winter comes, starless night will cover day, in the veiling of the sun, we will walk in bitter rain," she spoke the first stanza out loud. Her dark well groomed eyebrows furrowed. I knew she'd never heard the melody before, but she liked the words very much.

"But in dreams, I can hear your name, and in dreams, we will meet again," she whispered, a small smile spreading over her face. "Rowen, this is lovely." I almost flushed, not believing she found that little spurt of poetry, although not my own, lovely. I'd written it down in a spurt of boredom, seeing if I could resite it from memory.

"When the seas and mountains fall, and we come to end of days, in the dark I hear a call, calling me there, I will go there, and back again." She stopped, locking her deep, gorgeous eyes with mine. For once, she seemed innocent and completely angelic. She traced the sketchy, poor drawings of bows, arrows, stars, and swords I'd drawn around it. "My Rowen, it's lovely."

"It's a song," I corrected her. Her dark, sparkling eyes held a solemn gaze. They begged to know the melody. I coughed, very conscious of myself for the first time in a while. Why'd I give a damn? Having blue hair was more outlandish than this.

"Will you sing it?" Kaede asked after several moments slid by between us.

"I don't sing," I replied, trying to strenghten my resolve. I sort of wanted to sing and please her, but I knew I had absolutely as much voice as some deft mute, and even though I could play the guitar and piano, I couldn't carry a tone with a damn.

"You don't even want to try?" Kaede asked me with her best pouting voice. I shook my head and stared at her with a stupid grin on my face because of her antics.Then, she took off her jacket, and suddenly, I was staring right down her sweater again.

Suddenly, the amused feeling vanished. I fixed my eyes deeply into hers, a scowl coming over my face. "What's that for?"

"You might need some convincing," Kaede replied simply. I shook my head, grabbing my notebook. The teacher strode into the room, and I was exceptionally glad to get out of the conversation. What had happened? One moment, Kaede was being nice and exceptionally interested in my schoolwork and song lyrics, and the next, a whore?

I decided being with Nilla might not be a terrible idea, considering the choices.

(Cye)

I ran down the hallway, hardly able to stand up. The wolf chased me, laughing as it snarled. "You can't run, Ronin," the sweet female voice that echoed from the wolf didn't seem natural. "I will catch you, Cye of Torrent. You are mine. Join me."

"NO!" I hollered and fell, trembling in every limb. I stared at my scar. To my horror, it was open, gushing blood on the carpet. The wolf bit my back, and the pain seared down my spine. I became dizzy, feeling my gut tighten.

"You will be mine," the creature shouted in its surreal voice and bit me again. I screamed, thrashing about. The huge teeth pulled me towards it, and I could barely move. "Join me, CYE!"

"NO!" I shouted and felt myself being shaken, and slowly, the hallway lightened. "No, NO!"

"Cye," Kayura said soothingly. It was Kayura, only Kayura, with her normal voice. She sat in front of me, shaking my shoulders. I stared around, blankets tightly wrapped around my body. I gazed at the floor beneath me, realizing my back and head hurt because I'd fallen out of bed.

"Are you okay?" Kayura asked and stopped shaking me. Her strong, midnight blue eyes held my gaze. They were so pretty, full of deep concern for the most vulnerable Ronin, who just happened to be a monster. "I heard horrid noises."

"Fine," I replied and wiped the sweat off my forehead. How long ago was it we fought this caring beauty? "Just a bad dream."

"Oh, it sounded terrifying," Kayura said and helped me back to the bed. I untwisted myself from the blankets that strangled me like serpents. "I thought there was an attack."

"A bad dream is like an attack, it seems so real," I replied with a sigh. I wondered how real that attack actually was. My scar ached dully, gently giving off a pulse of its own.

"I thought something like the shape shifter," Kayura said with concern, helping me make my bed. I didn't want to lay down at all. "Are you feeling better?"

"Other than the dream, yes," I replied and smiled with releif. She nodded, smoothing out the sheets better than an iron could have done in several moves. "How did you do that?"

"I was quite a domestic girl, once," Kayura replied light heartedly with a chuckle. "Haven't kept house in a while, I must confess. I did it often enough, though. I guess I can't brake that habit."

"Appreciated," I told Kayura as I gazed over at Kento's mess. "Seiji is the only one who cleans up for himself, and I clean for everyone else."

"I can see," Kayura told me as she picked up piles of Kento's dirty clothes. She winced at the smell. She turned back to me at the threshold of the door. Her ebony hair got that navy tint as the sun hit it. It flew over her shoulder in one, swift movement, like water gliding over a fall. I froze, transfixed by the most natural scene of beauty I'd ever experienced in someone.

"Cye?" I snapped to attention as Kayura called my name. "Do you need anything? I'm going out to meditate after I throw in Kento's clothes."

"No, I'm fine," I replied quietly, watching Kayura leave the room. For moments, I just stood in the middle of the room, gazing at everything, wondering from where that moment came. It floated down through the gaps of life, and fell into this messy room. I'd talked and seen Kayura before, but until then, I'd never really seen her, in all grace and beauty. Her hair, eyes, and thin body would be a model's dream, yet she sulked around in baggy clothes, hair untouched by beauty products.

What did we really know about Kayura? Before, I'd never guessed she'd be a cook and house cleaner to rival me. Now, she took the job, cleaning and caring for us and the house to perfection. Did Kento see this in Kayura on the date? Did he gaze at this same soul-filled girl?

The door downstairs opened and clicked shut and I stirred, walking towards the bedroom door. I opened it, taking in the silence of the empty house. I paused, gazing towards the study. The scrolls, that's right, I wanted to read the scrolls.

I walked down the hall, finding myself in Mia's grandfather's old study. I walked to the bag of unmoved scrolls. I browsed through them again, rereading internal magical barriers.

"Elementors, that's what I want," I muttered to myself and flipped around through the scrolls again, finding a yellow scroll about types of magic. I opened it, reading down until I got to the part about elementors. "Elementors are born infused with one of the six elements of water, spiritual awareness, earth, sky, fire, or void."

I paused, reading that sentence several times. My element was obviously the element of water. I read on:

_Elementors are able to control their element, however, this may take time to do. The elemental power may not manifest itself fully until early adulthood or late adolescence. Then, the elementor must train to control and use their element. Elementors usually become skilled warriors, typically infusing weapons and attacks with their element. Elementors can also be healers, using their element to heal themselves and others. This is usually done by making a five-pronged star, placing an element at each corner, and placing their element in the middle. The more of the element, the better to facilitate the healing process._

I stopped, replacing the scroll. That's all I really needed to know. I rushed to the calendar. I scanned it, flipping the page, finding the next full moon about a month away, towards the middle of next month.

"Good, about a month to get in touch with water," I muttered. I paused, gazing at the red circle and big scribbled words on the date of the full moon. I dropped the calendar, realizing Seiji had circled and written Openhouse on the day of the full moon.

A/N: July 2007 I revised this, deciding Rowen needed into this more. I hope this explains something, and every scene in here has a purpose for later in the story. The song is "In Dreams" featured in "The Breaking of the Fellowship" in The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Rings soundtrack (and also the music is in the movie). I didn't know this had lyrics, but my friend said it did, and I loved them. The manuscript texts are my own, so please don't copy without permission.

Now, this is it. I've revised all sixteen chapters and added somethings here and there. Here are the sums of my updates:

1) The Dark Lady fights her sister, Ishatar, and then goes forward to the present, where she's watching the Ronins.

2) Return to Normality begins the story, and it's now with correct (or as correct as I could make them) Japanese terms, thanks to Fru. (Shin-no-nekochan)

3) Han'A High, the Truth About Nilla, A Relation, and Uneasiness are entirely new chapters, and Uneasiness and A Relation are added and flesh out the Ronins, Lily, Nilla, Tomo, Akio, Kaede, Lee, Bahkura, Sean, Nakeisha, Zera, and N'deki.

4) The rest of the story is essentially the same as written the first time, except there are changes (for example, they don't drive at sixteen in Japan, even though they do in the show underage).

5) website is where I got the idea for six elements. I know, in the series, there are only five, but there really can be six. Esoteric Buddhism, in which there are sects in Japan, believe that spiritual consciousness is essential to bring the other five elements to life. I'm just going to leave you with that thought.

6) I am using the dub attacks because a lot of the original attacks are entirely too long or just sound the same. The only original attack I thought was better was Ryo's Double Fire Cut. It sound so good, but I found myself thinking that a) the dub attack names were cooler (Quake with Fear vs Crimson Thunder Lightning. Which one do you think wins?) b) the dub attacks were short and made a lot more sense (Cale's attack, anyone?) or c) they were exactly the same thing (Kento's attack switches one word.). So, I'm keeping the original virtues, but I using the dub attacks.

To my Reviewers:

Shin-no-nekochan: You motivated all this tedious reviewing. This isn't perfect, but it's better, and I really have you to thank for it. I hope you read it soon, if you have time, and I can't wait to read more of your own story.

LaDyWiLdFiReKiTtY: Your reviews are so great, and they were very helpful with my character developement. Also, I'd love to hear from you again, too. Thank you for your reviews.

Lena(ElementalGirlLuna): You reviewed a lot, to say the least. Thanks for your constant encouragement, and even though this isn't new, a lot of this story is, especially from chapters 1-6, and I also introduced Kento's sister in Phone Calls.

rekkanotara: I always found your comments amusing, and they often caused me to look at this story from a different perspective because you thought of little things I never did. Anyway, thanks for your constant Rowen pushing, which helped me rewrite some of my Rowen chapters.

To all other reviewers: Thanks for your encouragement.

Thanks for reading,

MorganRay


	18. Something This Way Will Come

**Something This Way Will Come**

(Ryo)

The day kept going, and I walked with Tomo, Akio, Lee, Lily, and Nilla to the gym. Akio sulked slightly behind the group as Lily bounded ahead of us, with Nilla by her side, as she chattered endlessly about that openhouse.

"I just wish Cye would get better," Lily whined in her usual, bubbly tones. "He really won't give me a reply until he comes back?"

"Yeah," I told Lily for about the fifteenth time today. "He's not feeling great."

"I just want . . . I don't know, to go with somebody nice this year," Lily replied with a gentle sigh. "I didn't like that guy, what's his name, that I went with last year, and he put moves on me that were just a little bit too much. I don't know what he wanted of me or expected me to do . . "

"I do," Lee chuckled. Lily spun around and stuck out her tongue at him, which caused Lee to laugh and push her forward. Lily stumbled, but Nilla held her shoulder, and the two girls walked towards the women's locker room.

"See you boys later," Nilla called as they disappeared behind the red-orange door.

As soon as they were out of ear shot, Tomo muttered, "That girl needs to keep her mouth shut. I had this feeling that Mouri wasn't really into her. You know, as another guy, I can tell."

"Yeah," I replied with a sigh. "He'll go with her, though. Cye's got a heart of gold."

"You think so?" Akio muttered. "I just . . . don't think he should if he doesn't . . . he should . . ."

"If you like her so much, ask her yourself," Tomo teased as we entered through the blue gray doors, and into the men's locker room. Everyone stripped down quickly because the room had filled up with other classes, too, and soon, everybody was on their way into the male half of the gym.

There wasn't much socializing to be done during the actual class, which involved more running, rope climbing, and general exhaustion than anything else. The girls apparently were using the swimming pool right now, so us guys would have to wait until probably next month to get our turn in the water. However, being unnaturally strong, ten sets of fifteen push-ups in ten minutes weren't that difficult for me.

I gazed over at Akio, who was having a terrible time, as usual, with making his time limit. I gazed across the gym and picked out Kento, plowing away as usual. I smirked and realized he wasn't breaking a sweat yet, either.

"I hate being fit," Akio panted as he took a couple seconds to breathe. "I don't . . ."

"Come on, you've only got five minutes," I murmured as I began my seventh set. Akio moaned as he went down on his shaky arms once again. I looked up just as Kento finished and stood up, indicating that he was done. I could feel the eyes of the teacher linger over the room as he kept time on a stopwatch. When I finished second, I also stood up and gave Kento a knowing grin.

The class went on, and it was time to run laps. I stretched my muscles and darted off around the outside of the gym. I looked behind me and grinned at Kento, who was failing to keep up with me. He rolled his eyes as I smirked at him and mouthed the words, 'Show off.'

After we'd finished, everyone headed back into the locker room to change. I slid back into my gray uniform, and Kento caught up to me as I walked out of the boy's locker room. Bahkura and Sean followed him, though, as he reached my side. "You know, showing off isn't nice," Kento teased me. "It makes me look bad."

"You two seem to always be the best at everything," Bahkura grumbled in his deep voice, and I barely heard what he said.

"Just got that special talent," Kento joked around, but neither boy seemed to find it amusing. I chuckled as footstep's pounded up behind me. I turned around to see a sweaty Lee dash towards us, making an honest effort to catch up.

"What's your rush?" I asked Lee, wondering why he was taking all this time to see me when I was with Sean, Kento, and Bahkura. I knew how Lee didn't tolerate hardly any male rivalries, especially these three.

"Well, since you and Kento are friends, I'm going to ask him a question," Lee began to talk, but was cut off by Sean's snickering. Lee gave him a furious glare as he continued. "Does Kaede have a date to Takanowi Fajido's party yet?"

"She's into smart and mysterious guys at the moment," Bahkura replied curtly as Kento was about to answer. "The only thing mysterious about you is why you think she'd go with you."

"Nice one," Sean said enthusiastically as he gave Bahkura a high-five. Lee glared at the pair before looking pointedly at Kento, hoping he'd answer the question. However, Lee stood on my left side, as far away from Kento and his friends as he could manage.

"No, but Kaede can mange. She went with Takanowi Fajido before," Kento replied. I felt my jaw drop a little, but didn't say anything. Takanowi Fajido had intensified the Kaede and Nilla feud and bringing up that issue was just plain idiotic.

"She's a big girl," Sean teased Lee in a mother like voice. "You think you can handle her?"

"See you later," Lee grumbled and stormed off. The laughter of Sean and Bahkura followed him down the hallway, and I suddenly didn't feel like being with the two of them, either.

"Kento, see you," I said as I clapped by friend on the back before leaving him behind. I caught up with Lee, who was bearing an open scowl. "Wait!"

"Why? Go talk to Rei Faun," Lee spat. I kept pace with him as he fumed down the hallway. "Honestly, I don't know how you manage. What's the big change, Ryo? You hated those guys until this year."

"Lee, you can ask her," I told Lee, and he spun around to stare me directly in the eyes. His eyes were sparkling like electricity from a broken wire spraying all over the street. "We'll have a pre-open house or something at the manor, um manor like boarding house."

"Sure, and Kento will invite Sean and Bahkura," Lee muttered as he drove his one fist into the other.

"At least there won't be anyone else there," I reassured Lee. Lee seemed to contemplate it, and the energy finally dimmed in his eyes. He turned and continued to walk back to the room. "Okay?"

"Yeah," Lee replied with his livid tempter deflated. "I could handle it."

(Zera)

The art room was silent when I arrived there, and I sat down at a bench and opened my lunch box. I began to eat before Nakeisha and Seiji got here today, deciding that the quiet was preferable to their bickering. Well, they didn't bicker all the time, and I did agitate, but sometimes, lunch needed peace.

Kaede's whorish form swam into my mind, but I didn't let it upset my meal. That girl was obnoxious to a fault because she was a smart harlot. It was rare, but it was Kaede, and she pressed her current advantage on Hashiba Rowen, and I'd observed this from being in their class. I hadn't mentioned it to even Nakeisha because I didn't simply know how any of us but Rowen could deal with it. Sometimes, people had to make their own choices and deal with things without another's help.

"I hope you're having a good day," Nakeisha grumbled as she sulked into the room followed by a very bewildered looking Seiji. I knew when she came up with that idea to hunt him in the bathroom that today wasn't going to be a good day. It was a bold, desperate action, even for Nakeisha.

"I try," I replied casually as Seiji took a seat beside me and propped his head on one hand. His golden locks spilled around his fingertips as he gazed hopelessly at Nakeisha. "Can I ask?"

"Sure," Nakeisha replied stiffly as she began working on her hydra. "Why don't you tell her, Seiji?"

"It's not like you haven't heard. It's hot a huge mystery," Seiji began in a slightly edgy voice that wasn't like him. He sounded at the end of his mental nerve, so I decided this could be interesting. I shot a glance up at Nakeisha, wondering what had happened.

"Go on because, no, I have no idea what happened," I coaxed Seiji to continue. I thought he might have gone out with one of those little sluts because that would infuse anger in Nakeisha.

"Well, we're going together to Takanowi Fajido's party at his mansion," Seiji replied with too much cheer in his voice. However, his voice turned sour like milk when he said, "And now, she's mad because of what she did. How is this my fault?"

"You could've said you won't go," Nakeisha snapped. "All those girls would've left you alone then."

"That's not very fair of me because I was planning on going because Rowen is going definitely, and I think about everyone else in the school is going," Seiji replied sharply before he ate some rice. I stared between the quarreling couple, deciding I didn't want to go with them if this is what the evening would hold.

"What about you?" Nakeisha asked me and stopped her work to look at me. I finished chewing my sandwich before I answered. I made sure to munch up every piece of that bread, ham, and cheese, too.

"I don't think so," I told Nakeisha what she already knew. With an exaggerated groan, she threw back her head and moaned.

"Please?" Nakeisha begged. She brought her head up and her chocolate eyes met my forest green eyes. I knew what she wanted. She wanted me to pick up someone I could tolerate without medication.

"I'll think about it. I've got a person in mind," I muttered, deciding I wasn't going to tell them who. I hadn't seen Cye in a couple days, but the boy was very relaxed. I trusted him enough to walk around at some stupid masquerade ball or open house thing the entire evening with me. He'd managed to cheer me up in those mundane days in that prison house where we stayed.

"I suppose it's a secret?" Seiji asked me the rhetorical question. I smirked at him and gave a curt nod as I stuffed another bite of sandwich into my mouth.

"It's always a mystery with us," Nakeisha said as she continued sculpting. Seiji and I ate in peace for a while, and I finished first and closed up my lunch box.

"Who else is going? What exactly would I have to do?" I asked Seiji in a conversational tone. He wiped his mouth and shut his lunch box before replying.

"Rowen and Nilla are going together, and I suppose Kento, Ryo, and Cye will go," Seiji pondered for a couple minutes. "I'm not sure about any of their friends, though. Basically, it's a cultural festival. Most people wear kimonos or traditional Japanese garb, and everything is very ornate. Basically, Takanowi Fajido shows off his huge mansion slightly outside of Tokyo, everyone eats, and the youth from the school can dance to modern music."

"Fun," I replied blandly, unsure of how interesting it really would be. "I have a feeling Kaede wants to go with Rowen, though."

"Really?" Seiji replied with interest. He raised an eyebrow as a look of weariness crossed his ivory skin. "Well, he's with Nilla, in more ways than just a dance, so Kaede might have to settle for a no."

"That's lovely, the stupid whore," Nakeisha spat. "I don't like that girl. Sean always has her over, and she's the most flirtatious and obscene girl I think I've ever met. Why do men like her, Seiji?"

"I don't like her. She's another beautiful woman, Nakeisha, so it happens sometimes," Seiji defended himself promptly. Nakeisha only snorted as if she thought no man was immune to Kaede's charms. Well, after seeing her in action, I wondered who was safe from that ravenous woman.

"Well, I think lunch is over," I replied and stood up to leave. I walked out of the room before the other two and arrived at my classroom in time to help everyone straighten up the place after lunch. I put my lunch box away and swept, but as I swept around the teacher's desk, Kaede and Rowen entered the room together. They put their stuff away and were engaged in chatting to each other as they cleaned off some desks.

I went to sweep closer to them, wondering what I could hear. As I got closer, I heard Kaede's clean, bell like laugh as she said, "So, you really are going to have me over sometime? At least that's what your friend Ryo said. I'd love to see your place."

"Yeah," Rowen added as he sat down and got ready for class. "I guess that open house isn't enough."

"Sure isn't," Kaede replied, and I watched as she glanced around, wondering if anybody would hear what she was about to say next. Unfortunately, she spotted me and a very unflattering frown overcame her pouting lips. "What are you doing?"

"Sweeping. Go on, keep flirting," I encouraged Kaede, but her eyes hardened as she concealed as much anger as possible. Rowen coughed and turned away for a second, trying to break the moment.

"We were talking about a party, that's all," Kaede replied airily now. "I suppose you won't be invited."

"Are you going to Takanowi Fajido's open house?" Rowen asked me, trying to save me from Kaede's insulting tongue. I felt my insides burn slightly from her barb, but I realized I didn't want to be at any place where she lingered. However, I thought she might be going to the boarding house, which churned my stomach and tinged my insides with a drop of jealousy.

"Yeah, when I get a date," I replied casually and leaned my broomstick against the back wall where it belonged. However, Kaede laughed her melodic, perfect-pitched laugh, which made my insides turn again.

"Nobody will go with a giantess," she replied with a girlish giggle. I cocked my head and gazed at her, wondering why she was bothering to be so catty. If she wanted to sharpen her claws on me for Nilla, that was one thing. However, if she thought I was moving in on Rowen, she wasn't as intelligent as I thought.

"Kaede, what are you doing?" Rowen asked Kaede in a bitter voice. Her mouth hung open as she was about to speak, but she realized Rowen had reprimanded her, not me. "I'm sure she can get a date if I can."

"Oh," Kaede replied, obviously not expecting Rowen to speak up for me. I couldn't repress a smirk of triumph as I made my way back to my seat. I was secretly proud of Rowen, too, and I decided Nilla was in very capable hands.

(N'deki)

"I'm tutoring tonight, but it's later, about six," I told Lily softly, who came to me in absence of Cye. She waited patiently as I wrote down directions to my house and handed her the card. "I'm going to have Zera and Nakeisha there, too, if you don't mind."

"That's fine. Thanks! I don't know what I'd do if someone won't help me," she said quickly as she gave me a flippant wave. Lily scurried off towards Nilla, who already had walked towards the door with Ryo. I watched as he strode away while the sun streamed through the windows and struck his raven locks. I watched his movements as he disappeared from sight before moving myself.

I sighed to myself as I flowed through the mess of students into the hallway. People jostled me between their taller, usually thicker frames. I shouldered my mailbag and road through the sea of people struggling to get to friends and heading towards the door. I tried to stay upright and shuffled with the crowd towards where I needed to go. As I got squished through the double, metal doors and into the gushing sunlight that blinded me temporarily, I took a deep breath of the air and felt extremely relieved.

I began to walk to my house, glad to be free of the hustling of the crowd. As I strode down the sidewalk, my mind wondered again back to Sanada Ryo. I'd thought about asking him to the open house with me, but I couldn't find the moment or the courage to do it. I sighed miserably as I turned the corner and broke away from most of the people I knew.

I turned and gazed at the tip of the fence of Wisteria Park as I passed a block down the street. I wouldn't pass it today because I turned and went away from it to my house, but as I gazed at it, I remembered the eerie feelings I'd gotten while in that park.

I bit my lip, recalling how that image hadn't left my mind since that moment when I'd walked in the park. The image hadn't been anything I'd seen, but I replayed that moment over and over in my brain, wondering where it originated. I'd looked through the bookstore, on the Internet, and at the library where I'd found almost absolutely nothing. I hadn't located the old man anywhere, but this was only an incentive to search harder.

_'Talpa will do anything to retrieve your_ _armor,'_ the old man said to me in the strange hallucination I'd experienced. No, it hadn't been a hallucination or any type of illusion because nothing had ever felt so real. Talpa, who was he? I wondered as I turned to go towards my house.

At that moment, a chill shot up my spine, and the lights seemed to go out and the city was submerged in darkness. A cloud as thick as a plague of locusts seemed to envelop the buildings. A fog that snaked between the desolate streets caused them to be as dark as the country with no moonlight. The great masses seemed to disappear into the thin air, and my shoulders felt heavy, and as I stared around at the desolate and dark city, completely devoid of everything that I loved. I felt my heart sink inside me as I suddenly opened my mouth and laughed.

My mind reeled as I struggled like I did in the park that day, but I couldn't break away from this nightmare. The vision was even more real than the last one, but this time, I felt evil pulsing in the back of my mind, trying to reveal something and eat away at me. I mentally shrieked, pushing back at the evil that attempted to surround me.

"Are you okay?" a man asked as I slammed into him. The sun shot into my eyes as the honking of horns and bustle of life rushed back towards me. I gasped, blinked, and struggled to my feet.

"I-I'm fine," I stuttered as I rushed towards my house. I pushed through the crowds, almost running to get out of the streets. I couldn't push that image of destruction from my mind, and the evil and hate gnawed at me. That wasn't my laugh. I wasn't happy about destruction, and that wasn't me.

I reached my house and raced up the stairs with my hair streaming out behind me as I whipped into the house. After I shut the door, I collapsed against it and sank down in front of it. I buried my head in my hands and wept bitterly. I didn't know why sobs racked my body, but they came easily as if I'd bottled up my emotions for years. I wailed loudly as I shuddered in grief I didn't understand.

"N'deki," Mi Sang whispered in concern. I felt her touch my shoulder and give me a gentle pat. I lifted my head and looked into her soft, almond eyes, which always seemed extremely calm and serene, like a glassy lake in the shade.

"I . . . I," I mumbled, trying to express my pain. Mi Sang caressed my cheek with her thumb as she helped me to my feet. She walked me over to the couch and sat me down. I sprawled out and stared up at the ceiling, feeling drained of all my energy.

"Rest," Mi Sang commanded me in her soft, yet firm, voice.

"I have to tutor," I muttered as sleep began to steal my mind.

"I'll wake you then," she replied gently and kissed my forehead. I felt my mind fade into deep breathing and the waiting comfort of the plush couch.

(Nakeisha)

"Why can't I be sick?" I grumbled and asked Zera as we stepped out of my house. The sun sank low in the sky as the sunset approached in swift red and tangerine colors. "I don't feel like going tonight."

"I need so many hours with N'deki," Zera responded dryly as I pulled out the map of where N'deki's house was located. We walked in silence for a while as I eyed up Zera, who'd moved into my house currently for her stay in Japan. In general, we'd gotten along very well, but the Takanowi Fajido thing was threatening to tear us apart. She hadn't been pleased I'd let my resolve falter and decided to go with Seiji. I felt a pang of guilt as I remembered what we'd both promised to ourselves in the bedroom we now shared.

_'I don't think we should go_,' I told Zera as I came from hearing Sean nag me about how he was going to go with some beautiful, older woman to the party. Zera had been sitting on the bed in boy's gym shorts and a baggy T-shirt studying some Japanese when I'd stormed into the room and slammed the door.

'_You mean the dance?'_ she'd asked casually. _'If you don't want to go, I'll stay home, too.'_

_'That's a relief, although I suppose they'll be going,_' I commented as I'd plunked down in my twin bed on the other side of the room.

_'They? You mean Seiji,_' Zera replied evenly as she kept reading her book. I scowled, but I realized there was truth in those words.

_'Yes, of course him, but Cye, Rowen, Ryo, Nilla,'_ I elaborated as a smirk slid across Zera's face. '_What?'_

_'You hardly know them, yet you care so much,'_ Zera replied.

_'And you don't?'_ I retorted, and this time Zera placed her book on the nightstand. She gazed at me with those mossy green eyes that held the strength of steel.

_'I do, but I'm not going,'_ she replied stiffly. _'I need to sleep.'_

_'Promise neither of us will go,'_ I asked her. Zera nodded firmly as she'd flicked out the lamp on her bed stand. Now, here we were, and I'd broken my own promise.

"Listen, can you say something?" I snapped at Zera, hoping maybe a pinch of anger would rouse her. After lunch, she became cold, and when I asked her about the dance after school, she'd sternly replied that she made a promise and wouldn't go.

"I told you all you need to know," Zera replied as we came in sight of N'deki's house. As we approached the door, another girl came walking from the other direction. I vaguely recognized her, then mentally groaned as I realized that Lily had come, too.

"Told you we should've played sick," I muttered for only Zera to hear.

"Hi girls, N'deki said you'd come," Lily chirped in her superbly high-pitched voice. "So, I guess we're going to be study buddies?"

"_Sure_," I mumbled sarcastically as I knocked on the door. N'deki opened it after several moments, and I thought she looked worn like a used leather coat. She gestured us in without a word, and Zera closed the door behind Lily. N'deki took us upstairs where she'd spread out two sets of books and materials in her room. I noted one was in English and the other was in Japanese.

"Nakeisha, could you help Zera while I tutor Lily first?" N'deki asked wearily. I nodded, sensing how exhausted she was. I met her hazel eyes, trying to decipher what caused her fatigue, but all I could read in her open eyes was a deep feeling of trouble.

I turned to Zera, who'd sat down already and waited patiently for me. Great, when we weren't getting along, I had to spend more time with her. I quizzed her on a variety of Japanese words and held mock conversations where I would be a clerk or waitress or something and she'd just be a pedestrian.

"You look horrible," Lily exclaimed from across the room. I pursed my lips, realizing that tutoring Zera would be difficult if she kept chattering. "You know what, how about I braid your hair first? When people play with my hair, it makes me feel better."

"Sure," N'deki replied hesitantly. I snorted and rolled my eyes at her childish behavior as I continued to instruct Zera in more Japanese. Already, I knew she'd made incredible progress with the language and built on what she knew before she came to Japan.

"Your hair is so soft," Lily commented as Zera and I doggedly continued with the lesson plan. "You know, I think it feels like a horse's tail. I just like the feeling of it. It's not as smooth as mine, but it's a bit more textured and will probably stay in a nice braid. I'll do the fishtail braid for you. It's my favorite."

"I can't do this!" I exploded from Lily's babbling. "I can't work like this! Either we braid hair or study!"

"It's just some fun," N'deki replied gently. I cast her a harsh stare, but she didn't flinch when I met her pathetic gaze.

"You'd let anybody walk on you," I grumbled as I scooped up the books. "We'll just go back home and do this."

"I have to tutor her," N'deki protested lightly, but I cut her off with a single look of indignation.

"What? You're getting your hair braided," I exclaimed, gesturing at Lily, who continued, oblivious to the shouting, to part and start to braid N'deki's sand colored hair that ran almost to her butt.

"We can do whatever she wants," Zera replied stiffly. "I need these lessons."

"You're being spiteful," I accused Zera as she sat down in front of N'deki and asked her for help in pronouncing some more words. She handed the girl several worksheets and papers she'd completed in Japanese to check. I felt like an idiot standing in the center of the room, which had returned to a relaxed state. I scowled and sat on the opposite side of the room, where I continued to study my own homework.

"I-I think I'm going to go. Your hair looks nice," Lily replied softly as I heard her stand up and gather her books.

"You haven't been tutored that much," N'deki remarked helplessly. I turned around to watch the ivory skinned girl with those diamond blue eyes gather everything up before heading towards the door.

"That's okay," Lily replied as she bowed and left the room. I gazed after her as she shut the door before looking over at N'deki, who appeared completely stunned like she'd been hit with a cooking pan. However, Lily's fishtail braid really did look nice in her hair and hung to about her mid back.

"That was rude," Zera reprimanded me as she turned to face me. I scowled and stood up, books in my hands and ready to leave. However, Zera also stood up and blocked my path to the door.

"We were studying. She should've played hair dresser somewhere else," I snapped at Zera. "Don't pretend you like her."

"You've been like this all day. First, you're curt with Seiji, and now, with me. It was your choice to go," Zera told me in her steely voice that cut like a sharpened blade. I scowled and took a step towards her.

"Seiji needed help," I snarled and tried to push my way past Zera. However, when I couldn't get through, I spun around and sat down again across from a very stunned N'deki. Zera waited before sitting down, also, and she promptly continued her lesson. I sulked in silence as they kept up a rigorous study pace, and N'deki looked completely drained by the end of the hour.

"Thank you for putting up with this," Zera commented as she and I stood to leave. I shot her a cross stare, but she simply thanked N'deki and left the room first. N'deki escorted me to the door, where Zera waited for me patiently.

"Well, I'll see you," N'deki bid us farewell hurriedly. Zera exited first and strode down the street with her huge strides. I jogged and caught up to her shortly, where I decided to force the dance issue on her again.

"Why don't you talk to me? Who's being rude now?" I jabbed her with my questions. Zera groaned and stopped in her tracks. She looked down at me as she bared her teeth before responding.

"You claim it was for Seiji, but I think you wanted to go. Sean says 'I'm going.' Now, you want to go, for yourself, which is a selfish motive," Zera growled as she finished speaking her piece. I gazed at her and bit my lower lip, trying to keep from shouting at the top of my voice.

"Selfish? Why won't _you_ go with somebody for me?" I yelled at her, which got the attention for people on the street. However, most people continued to pass us by with the occasional strange look, but I'd never been embarrassed about speaking my mind.

After several moments of silence between us, I told her in a softer voice, "Maybe we're both just scared."

"Of what?" Zera asked cynically.

"Of people," I replied ruefully. Zera began walking home again, and I jogged up to her side, having quenched my anger for the moment. Zera was one person who I could never manage to stay angry at for a substantial length of time.

"Will you just go?" I begged her, feeling dirty and ashamed of myself as I did it.

"Maybe," Zera responded stiffly as we caught sight of my house.

A/N: July 2007 I know, not a lot happening in this chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I promise the next chapter will be more exciting. I needed to set up a couple things with N'deki/Zera/Nakeisha, but next chapter will be more Cye and his problems, Ryo and his choices, either a Netherworld/lair scene, and your first taste into Kaede's mind and her issues. After meeting the very feminists Zera and Nakeisha, I'm toying with how different Kaede is from them, or does she manifest the same feelings in different ways? Sorry, personal questions that are just helping me for the next chapter. Also, any summary suggestions? Any grammatical/proofreading errors?


	19. Houseguests

**Houseguests**

(Cye)

The alarm clock rang in my ear, and I moaned as I rolled over and hit the button. I sat up, but the sky was over cast again today, although the weather was supposed to clear out by the end of this day. Well, that was according to the weatherman, and he could be wrong a lot. I gazed over at Kento, who droned on in his dreams of probably food and girls, oblivious to the siren that went off in my ear. I stood up and gathered my uniform together for the first time this week. I was finally over my bout of the 'flu', but I knew the worst part of this sickness was yet to come.

I pushed those depressing thoughts away and threw Kento's clothes at him. I tossed a shoe at his head, and he moaned and rolled over. I gave up the hopeless task of waking that log and trudged to the bathroom. Seiji met me on his way back to his room, hair wrapped up in a towel. "Good morning," Seiji greeted me too perkily for this hour. I nodded, still bleary from my uneasy sleep. I stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. I brushed my teeth before I jumped into the shower.

I yawned and let some soap into my mouth. I spat it out and then stuck my open mouth under the showerhead to clean out the unpleasant taste. At least the balmy water that cleaned the sweat of nightmares off my skin and calmed me. I'd seen the eyes, those bloody glowing, yellow eyes, in my dreams last night, stalking me, haunting me where ever I attempted to rest.

"Nightmare," I murmured to myself, not entirely sure that it was actually a nightmare in the end. I'd never had a dream more than once, but the dreams with the eyes had happened almost consistently every night since my attack. However, I didn't think this one was nearly as terrible as the previous ones, and that thought comforted me.

"Cye," Ryo called from the other side of the door. I turned off the shower, dried myself, and quickly dressed so Ryo could get ready. As Ryo slid into the bathroom, Kento lumbered down the hallway to wait outside the door. He leaned up against it and closed his eyes for a moment more of sleep.

Neither of us said anything to each other as I plodded downstairs where the scent of toast and oatmeal reached my nose. I arrived in the lively kitchen to see Kayura already up and making each of us a bowl of oatmeal. "Three for Kento," I mumbled and took my bowl, which came with two pieces of wheat toast. I buttered my toast as Seiji poured himself a cup of tea.

"Do you want a cup? It's green tea," Seiji asked as he poured a second cup and set it beside Kayura. I nodded, relishing the thought of some herbal tea on what might be a very long day back to school.

"I'll follow my nose to whatever is cooking," Kento muttered as he followed Ryo down the stairs. Seiji handed me my cup of tea as he sat down and ate his oatmeal with Ryo, Kento, and me. The four of us chewed to the sound of the boiling water in the kettle and occasional pop of the toaster as Kayura made herself and Rowen some toast.

"Who wants to wake Rowen, and it's not me," Seiji said after he'd finished eating.

"Nhot mhe," Kento said through a mouth of food. I finished chewing and seconded that motion. Ryo cursed as he finished swallowing his food and stood up as Seiji went over to wash off his plate.

"Rowen!" Ryo hollered as he mounted the first couple steps. " Rowen! Rowen!"

"You have to go up there," Kento told Ryo with a snicker. "We'll hear the profanities down here, though."

"Rowen!" Ryo bellowed as he climbed up the stairs. I sighed, realizing how I might have enjoyed this a week ago and joined Kento in his jeering Ryo onwards until a string of curse words came down the steps, which was the sign Rowen had been successfully roused to action. However, I sat there with a face of stone as Rowen essentially cursed Ryo to his grave. When Ryo came back downstairs to finish his breakfast, Kento was smirking from ear to ear as he stood up to clap him on the back.

"Well done," Kento mockingly congratulated Ryo as Seiji picked up the remaining empty dishes. Soon, Rowen tottered down the stairs with his hair sopping wet and his uniform was rumpled and hung loosely on his lanky frame. He brushed the sapphire locks away from his face as he grabbed the toast and several candy bars before he snatched up his mailbag to leave.

"See you Kayura!" Kento called as he shut the door. Seiji and I wished her a good day as Rowen inhaled pieces of toast as we walked under the canopy of clouds the color of newspaper ashes.

"Did you tell Kayura that we're having an entourage over in a day?" Seiji asked Ryo as we turned the corner in the driveway to see Tokyo shrouded in a thick fog under clouds that climbed even higher on the ladder into the atmosphere.

"Well, I was putting that off," Ryo answered as he and Rowen ambled along in front of the three of us.

"You invited people over? I thought it was Kento," I replied, since Kento told me that his friends were coming over in a day. "You might want to tell Mia."

"That was another plan," Ryo said casually and waved his hand as if to blow away the issue. "Besides, I was going to invite my friends, too, but I invited Kaede, so Kento can't blame me for being biased."

"She sort of invited Bahkura and Sean," Kento added. Ryo shrugged it off, but Seiji frowned and looked slightly perturbed.

"Do I get a say? If Sean comes, at least invite Nakeisha and Zera," Seiji added his piece as we approached our bus stop. In the fog, we saw the headlights approach as the bus stopped. I boarded second to last and flopped beside Kento while Seiji sat in front of us. Rowen and Ryo sat beside us and both immediately slumped back in their seats to sleep. However, Seiji turned around to start up the conversation again.

"Ryo, it's not entirely fair," Seiji noted, but Ryo only opened one eye as a sign he was alive. Kento slouched against the window and prepared to sleep, also.

"Huh? Sure, invite them," Ryo murmured as he slouched into his seat and shut both eyes. Seiji frowned and turned towards me. His brows knit together for a moment as he sulked in frustration and ran a hand along the top of his gelled hair.

"It's not going to be pretty," Seiji muttered to me. I nodded deftly as I stared outside at the dreary world. The ashen clouds, sprinkled with the dull green of trees blooming and the worn tan of buildings, moved by in an endless mix. I sighed and rubbed my temples, realizing I still wasn't feeling particularly well. I wondered if anything, even riding this bus, would ever feel normal again.

"Cye?" Seiji called my name, and I slowly rotated my head and turned my attention back towards him. "Aren't you at least a pinch worried about having Kaede, Nilla, Nakeisha, Zera, and Sean in the same room? Let's not forget Lee, Tomo, and Bahkura."

"Not really," I replied, slightly dazed. "Maybe, but it'll be okay, I guess. If everyone else is happy with it, I am."

"There is a lot of room at the manor," Seiji mused as the bus came to a stop at the school. I roused Kento, who stretched and whacked me in the face with his arm. Then, I stood up and shuffled wearily off the bus. The noise of the jabbering crowd caused my head to throb and pulse. I stared around hopelessly at all the masses chattering in the halls on their way to the _tyourei _in the gym.

"I can't do this," I moaned to myself, thinking about all the students and my own new personal problem.

"What?" Zera asked as she slid in on my right side. I gazed blearily at her for a few moments before registering her face. She wore the gray sweater, knee length skirt, knee high socks, and flat, black shoes that was the common uniform, but for a moment, she seemed distorted and her form seemed taller than it actually was.

"I-I'm not well," I muttered as I swallowed and blinked to clear my mind of all the hallucinations that were slipping from dreams to waking thought.

"I can see that," she replied, and I noted she was in a decent mood. I realized she was taller than almost everyone in the school was, about as tall as Rowen, and most definitely one of the tallest women I'd ever met. Walking beside her, I felt small, but it made me feel better for a moment to be shorter and not the one getting the attention.

"I don't heal well," I told her, and her thick lips turned up in a flickering grin. We walked together into the gym, where I was immediately jerked on the wrist by a thin, bony hand. I turned around to see Lily, who yanked me enthusiastically away from Zera.

"Cye! You're better! Seiji and Ryo told me you were so sick, and I wanted to see you, but I couldn't. I just hope you'll feel better now that you're back. I needed your help with my English, but you weren't here," Lily blabbered, and I tuned her out as she recounted exactly what she needed from me. I looked over her shoulder at Tomo and Lee, who were talking to another group of people.

"Cye?" Lily asked me, and I jerked to attention. I blinked and stared blankly at her, hoping she'd say something. "Did you hear me?"

"No," I replied curtly. Lily bit her lip and stared down at her feet for a second with an uncharacteristic shyness. Then, she raised her head and her over-enthusiastic baby-blue eyes met mine. However, the gleaming blue gems in her eyes made my stomach churn because they seemed so shallow, like water that only went up to your ankles.

"Do you want to go with me to Takanowi Fajido's party?" Lily asked in a soft voice. I stared at her, and as I looked at her, I realized I didn't feel sorry for her anymore. She was a stupid little school girl who didn't know what real problems, like death, destruction, and torture, really were. She didn't know what nightmares went through my mind, and if she knew, that while she was dancing, that I would be a monster, would she still have asked me?

"No," I replied firmly. "I'm not going. Especially not with you. In fact, I don't think I'll go with anyone."

"What?" Lily asked as her eyes flooded with tears. They sparkled like diamonds, but they now turned my stomach. For once, the bubbly little princess was stunned into silence.

"You heard me. No is no. Go pick another guy to gush over. I don't feel like being around you. You don't know me," I told her icily and walked to my spot because the _tyourei _was about to start. I stood there like a statue of marble as the principle addressed us today.

However, I realized I felt better as the _tyourei _ended. I did what I needed to do, and got the weight that was Lily off my chest. I didn't need that little twit. What I needed was to practice how to focus my mind with my element, water, so I could control the transformation that was going to happen, dance or no dance.

As I exited through the doors to head up to class, I heard my name shouted from behind me. Ryo and Seiji wove up through the crowd and rapidly reached my side. "Cye!" Seiji exclaimed as he drew level with me on the right as Ryo caught up to me on my left. "What did you do?"

"I . . . when? With who? Lily? I spoke my mind, I guess," I explained coolly to Seiji, who looked extremely troubled. Ryo's jaw dropped open before he could compose himself to say anything.

"You spoke your mind? Lily's throwing up and crying right now!" he exclaimed, but I felt strangely unmoved. I did what I had to do, and that thought alone comforted me.

"I'm not going guys," I told them evenly. Seiji bit his lower lip as we reached the part in the hallway where we had to turn our separate ways. I waved goodbye to Seiji as Ryo and I turned to our classroom.

"Spoke your mind," Ryo murmured under his breath as we entered the door. Lee and Tomo shot me a dirty look, but Akio approached us looking extremely anxious.

"Is she okay?" Akio asked hastily.

"Nilla was with her," Ryo replied as he shot a quick look at me. I shrugged, realizing I hadn't stuck around long enough to see what would happen to Lily. Then, Nilla rushed through the door as if on the wings of a storm. She came directly over to me, and for a moment, I thought she might punch me.

"What did you do?" Nilla hissed, but she was close enough that her words were soft but menacing. She added, with a tone of sarcasm, "I'm _sure_ it was nothing big. All she was muttering was your name and just some other gibberish about not going to the dance and getting her heart broken."

"I told her I'm not going to the dance with anyone. Lily would throw up if her nail chipped," I accused her acidically. Nilla clenched her mouth shut as she gazed at me as if she didn't quite know whom she spoke to now.

"Fine," Nilla replied shortly as she walked away and took her seat. Ryo stared at me with raised eyebrows, while Akio stood there looking forlorn and out of place in this little battle.

"Do what you want," Ryo finally added stiffly. "I hope you enjoy yourself."

(Ryo)

I sat stiffly outside one the grass as the sun peaked through the clouds of this new day. The ashy clouds lifted yesterday for a brilliant sunset, and today gleamed balmy, bright, and clear several hours before noon. I leaned back against the faded silvery trunk of the Japanese maple. The leaves had come out, and while the tops were a deep plum, the bottoms were the color of fresh, spring grass. I stared at them as I let time slide by like molasses.

Things had felt off-kilter recently concerning the group as a whole. Something hadn't felt right, but it was too obscure to put my finger on the exact cause. I was Virtue, so I was connected to them, maybe more than I realized. I felt my own emotions, yet, the overall mood of the group always nudged the back of my mind. Things had felt better until Cye moved out, then, they'd gotten better, but in the past week, my mind felt a shadow flit across it occasionally.

The shadow, it wasn't always there. Sometimes, it would flit in my mind when I woke up, just a passing darkness from my sleep, but deeper and more ominous somehow in its briefness. Then, sometimes, before I slept, I would feel it haunt me, and I would briefly imagine an image in a shadowy corner of my room. I would stay awake several more moments to calm myself after it left. It wasn't a powerful shadow, and I didn't even feel any malice behind it, but it was there, more often now than when school started. It would creep behind me or before my eyes occasionally, like the night I was out when Kento was on his date. It was a cold shadow that night, and it worried me slightly, but I thought it might be tapping into my own feelings of Kento's uneasiness. What bothered me most, however, was that I didn't remember this shadow until the past month, after Talpa left.

As Seiji strode across the lawn, calling my name, I recoiled my mind from the thoughts of shadows and focused on flesh and blood people. I rose off the grass, and strode over towards Seiji.

"Please come in and help," he begged me. I sighed, looking at the strain in my friend's face and eyes. I nodded, and followed Seiji towards the manor. As I walked, I felt the shadow flit across my mind, but it fizzled away the moment it came, and I could make nothing of it.

(Kaede)

I strolled into the sitting room and purposefully sat beside Rowen, who had made himself comfortable on the loveseat. I smirked mentally to myself as I looked over at him. Nilla hadn't come yet, and if I was to make my move, it would be now.

"Nice day," I began with some small talk about the weather. I studied his angular face, and I was struck once again by the strange yet attractive nature of that head of navy hair. Maybe his odd yet attractive features drew me to him. No, not that exactly, but more than that, and it was a magnetism that frightened me.

"Hmm," Rowen mumbled, evading my eyes. I crossed my legs, hoping my skirt would ride high enough to attract attention. I'd worn my knee-high boats for a more dramatic appearance, but he hadn't seemed to notice. I scowled mentally, knowing every other man in Tokyo would have stared at me in the outfit I came in today. My tight, shear top practically screamed for a man to stare down the v-neck, but Rowen looked out the window.

"Rowen, I need to tell you something." I wanted to take the words back, but I knew I needed to hit the point directly. There was no use playing my game when he didn't want to play with me.

"Yes?" Rowen snapped, and I loathed the fact that he still avoided even batting a single glance at me. I felt resentment bubble in my gut, but I kept my eyes fixed upon his apathetic features.

"Come with me, Rowen. Leave her. I am better for you," I stated directly. Shockingly, I saw his features contort into a scowl. Then, he turned to stare at me, but there was a chill in his blue eyes that I was unaccustomed to seeing. However, I took pleasure in the fact that I shook him from his usual self assured, aloof mood.

"No, Kaede. I have a girl friend." Rowen crossed his arms, and there was no way I could ignore the image of Nilla from rising in my mind. I set my jaw before I spoke again.

"Just go to Takanowi Fajido's with me, then. Leave her because she'll be no fun there," I argued, and I managed to keep my voice calm and rational. I didn't want to stoop to pleading with a man. I never begged.

"No is no."

"Besides Nilla, how have I offended you so that you won't consider me?" I inquired, honestly wanting to know why Rowen spurned me.

"Well, Nilla is a big reason why I'm not going with you," Rowen admitted, but then, fixing his gaze firm with my own, he continued to speak. "Then, you insult people, Kaede. I don't know if you notice it, but you've got a cruel tongue and a wicked body. And you play with people. It's sick, girl, and if no one ever told you that, I'm proud to be the first to say so."

I felt indignation boil in the pit of my stomach. I opened my mouth, but the words would not come. Sitting there, staring at Rowen, who I honestly had felt an attraction towards, I clenched my fists in anger until I felt my nails draw blood from my palm. Without a word, I stood up and stared down at the boy.

"For my own defense, you and Nilla weren't meant for each other. You'll never be happy with her," I spat, but then, as I looked at him, I felt the need to continue speaking. "But I, Hashiba Rowen, will get what I want. I will have a prize beyond all others. Remember that when you want me again. I never loose."

After I spoke, I felt something lift, and I stalked out of the room. I flushed as I entered into the yard. From the front of the house, I could hear people coming to the party, but I avoided going near their direction. As I walked in the open sunlight, I shuddered because of what I had said to Rowen.

In that moment, I felt barely in control of myself, and I shuddered at how my words simply had flown off my tongue. Yet, I knew they came from somewhere deep and that I meant everything I had said.

"Kaede," Ryo called as he walked towards me. He left the side of Seiji and approached me. I stood, waiting for him, and when he came over, I began to walk again. Matching my stride, Ryo walked with me towards the perimeter of the mansion yard. Along the edge of the neatly trimmed green grass began a forest, and I had the urge to walk through it with Ryo. As if reading my mind, Ryo turned and began to stroll along a little path that wound deeper into the forest.

"It's lovely out here," I said to fill the silence. Although it was not awkward, I felt I needed to speak. A crooked smile flitted across Ryo's face, and I smiled just because the genuine appearance of his smile touched me. Maybe it was the aura of the forest, but I felt relief from the extreme anger I felt moments before with Rowen. Here, there seemed to be a release of preassure which I was unware I had.

"I like this trail," Ryo commented as he continued to walk. As I looked down to study his features, the best being his blue eyes, I wondered why I had spent so much time avoiding him. Maybe it was Nilla, and somehow, I began to regret not looking at him before now.

Then, with a quick turn of his head, he caught me gazing upon him. I couldn't hide my interest, so I just laughed and kept staring, and the sound filled the forest like it might have filled a cathedral. To my surprise, Ryo laughed, too. It was a nice sound, full and rich, and he said, "You think I'm interesting?"

"I was being pensive," I replied, unable to keep a smirk off my lips. "I was contemplating why I really haven't noticed you."

"Situational, I suppose," Ryo replied, but he furrowed his brow in sudden concentration. After several moments, he continued to speak. "Well, maybe I am more noticeable now. You, you've always been in the spot light."

"Yes," I admitted. "I have. Why have you stayed out of it?"

"It may find me," Ryo consented, and his tone was darker for a moment. He looked away, into the depths of the trees, but when he turned back to me, a brighter look filled his features.

"For my part, you're much more agreeable at this moment than your friends," I admitted. Once again, I silently cursed myself for letting my mouth slip again. However, Ryo just shrugged, and an amused look crossed his face.

"Well, I've heard of how well you've been making friends, so it doesn't surprise me." As he spoke, I let out a deep sigh, and I was startled that he stepped closer to me. For a moment, I felt entranced by his presence, and I wondered why I hadn't noticed how overpowering it was to be around him before now. It wasn't that he was overly attractive, but something about him was repressive, alluring, and inviting all at the same moment.

"I . . . I need a date," I stammered. Ryo smirked, and I couldn't help but grin back at him.

"I don't think it'll go over well, but sure, I'd like to go with you," Ryo answered casually, but I noticed that the smile on his face deepened and touched his eyes. When he was genuinely pleased, all his features beamed with the pleasure he felt, and I felt infected by it.

(Dais/The Netherworld Scene)

I opened my eyes, but the wooden ceiling was all I saw. Nothing else unnatural lived in the room today. Nothing malevolent waited in the corner to threaten my peace. No demon from the underworld came to call me. No shining swords challenged me to battle. It had all come and gone, and here, for those who stayed in the Netherworld, there were no winners.

Had we won? Talpa died, it was all lost, but did we really win? I certainly felt I had lost, but there was no punishment now. I was free from Talpa's service. After centuries of servitude, I was free. However, it was not satisfying because the demon's defeat left me with a mess.

It was a disgusting mess here, too. The sky turned gray, and on days when it would have been sunny and beautiful, one could hold out their hand and only perceive a shadow on the ground. The sun never came out because the ominous gray blanket never broke to let the light pass through. When the clouds thinned, the day became cause for celebration. When we woke to dew or frost in the morning, the day became one of joy because something was normal.

Normal. What did I know of it? I sat up, feeling every ache in my body. It never hurt so much before, but the spell that held me ended when Talpa ended. I stretched out my arms and gazed down at my pale flesh. My nails remained paler than my own skin, and I could see the blue veins in my wrist as I looked at my palms. They looked so innocent and feeble, but I knew the destruction my own hands had caused.

The room remained too chill for my liking, so I lay down again. As I stared out the window, I perceived it was darker, yet. So, it was still night. I lay down and gazed up at the wooden beams that supported the ceiling. The shadows lingered across the wood, and although the building was new, the architecture was from when I had last walked in the mortal world untainted.

Untainted. What a word. There were so few things that remained untainted. Had I ever been untainted? I could reach back and remember times when I did not serve Talpa, but I had been malicious, even then. I was born with a double sight, and it set me apart. I had been odd and tainted from birth, and my own dabbling in the occult had increased my own maliciousness. Now, I did not have the strength to rise from a bed on my own because I knew now. I was tainted. I had done wrong.

I heard a noise, and I rose and pulled the kimono beside my bed onto me. I hadn't been able to sleep, and the presence at the door caused me to move when I would have stayed lost in my own thoughts.

She bore a candle, and I recognized her by the silver beak and plum plumage. Typically, her sweeping wings covered her scrawny arms, but I could see them because she stretched them out in such a vulnerable position with that candle in hand. Stretched from tip to tip, they were four times the width of my arms from fingertip to finger tip. In an earlier time, I would have been pleased to see Ariel, but now, I felt a new wave of guilt wash over my mind.

"You should be resting," I told her as she crossed into the room. Her keen bird eyes swept the room before resting on me. She took in the shadows and the sparse decorations of the bed, a mirror, and several rugs on the floor.

Ariel's talons clicked on the floor as she crossed the room. "You're awake." When she spoke, her fierce appearance diminished slightly because her voice was still that of a young woman. It was an atrocious thing that I did to her, I knew, and she had not been the only one. Talpa gave us some people to play with after the invasion, and I had taken her. Dark magic warped her body, and she had been unable to return to the mortal world.

"The wind stopped blowing, and there is a mist forming," Ariel told me. I turned and stared out the window. Indeed, a mist had crept across the land. I could not see beyond the edge of the windowsill. I nodded my head after several moments as I studied the dense clouds that decided to rest on this miserable land today.

We made our way together through the silent dojo that held those who were bound here by fate. The three of us stayed because this world was in our charge now. Ariel and others like her stayed because of what happened to them during the war. They were unable to return to normal lives in the mortal world. In this miserable shelter we tried to offer them safety and comfort.

I pushed the screen open, and I could see only the edge of the porch. Ariel and I walked around the wooden terrace, still under the roof which wrapped around the entire dojo. As we reached the pair of stairs that led away from the dojo, to the barren land, I took my seat on the top step. Ariel sat beside me, and in the mist, I studied her strong wings that once were one of my greatest prides.

"I don't ever remembering seeing mist here," she spoke after several moments slipped by that would never to be gotten back. The only other noise was the sound of our breaths in the chill air. I breathed out of my mouth and saw my breath form a puff of could in front of my face.

"It is better not to see this place," I replied.

"Kayura left. Why don't you?" Ariel asked. She cocked her head and stared at me with one of her sparkling, yellow eyes. I sighed and gazed away from Ariel, out into the mist. Even with the fog obscuring everything, I saw the silver shimmer of the portal to the mortal world. We guarded it now. Kayura's last instructions had been to guard it. We would never had done otherwise. The portal was the reason why we built our new dojo here. It had to be always watched and cared for by us. It was an act of penitence.

"Kayura's role is different than ours," I explained slowly to Ariel as I sought the words to describe the difference in our punishments. "Kayura was taken. I chose."

How I envied Kayura! She had been gifted the honor of having Anubis die for her freedom. Unto her had been given the staff, which could heal her wounds. She had been chosen to be redeemed. I had not. I took Badamon's offer when he came to me. Kayura was but a child and abducted. Oh, yes, there was a difference in our punishments. Concerning the mortal world, Kayura now had the duty to go and protect it. I had caused too much harm to be present upon the mortal earth again.

"You wake everyone," Kale jibed as he strode down the porch to where we sat. He wore a dark brown kimono, and even in the mist, I perceived his powerful frame.

"I think it is you that is typically up late," I replied lazily as I continued to stare into the fog. The portal would shimmer and draw my eye to it, occasionally. I heard Kale stop moving, but he did not sit down.

Out of all of us, I felt this fate bothered him least. He had room to keep his restless energy occupied. He would add onto the dojo, and he had almost single handedly completed the building of the dojo. Now, he sought to build or do other projects, and if his mind and soul were troubled, I had seen no evidence of it. He paid his penitence by distraction, possibly, but I found nothing could draw my mind from the stains my hands had caused.

"It is too damn foggy to go and see where I want to put up that well," Kale contemplated.

"Do you think we'll find water?" Ariel asked with a swell of hopefulness in her voice.

"A new source? Maybe," Kale replied as he bounded down the steps into the fog. I saw his silhouette as he paused to get his bearings. As he stood, trying to decipher the clouded land, he declared, "I cannot see a damn thing! What the hell is this?"

"Fog," Sekhmet mocked as he came to stand beside me. He looked less awake, and I figured Kale's shouting had probably woken him.

"I know that!" Kale answered crossly from somewhere in the mist. "I cannot see through it!"

"You think it is unnatural?" Sekhmet asked casually because everything here had some abnormal quality to it. As tapped into my double sight, I saw the fog, but I also saw ominous clouds the color of coal intermingled among them. Even without trying, I realized these charcoal clouds were becoming thicker. Even to my double sight, they were impenetrable.

"Yes," Kale replied bluntly. I could hardly sense were he was in the fog. I shoved my hand into my kimono and grasped my armor orb. Sekhmet bounded down the steps into the very edge of the mist.

"It is not right!" I shouted as the cloud cover became so think to my supernatural senses that I could not even feel Kale just a couple paces away. "Something malevolent is around."

I heard it before I saw it. I could not see it in the mist. The attack came quickly, and I heard Kale struggle with his attacker. Before I could say a word, Sekhmet charged into the mist. I stood for a moment, transfixed with the feeling that a familiar power crawled nearby. It was not the power of a demon, but I had felt the power signal of the particular weapon used before now. What was it?

"Stay hidden," I commanded Ariel in a whisper as I summoned my armor. I charged into the fray, but I had barely taken several steps from the porch before I felt a second power appear.

At first, I felt my entire body go numb from the immense power that the new presence resonated. I had never felt that power before, and as the being moved, all my supernatural sight could perceive was a thin, black form ambling slowly towards us. Even in the darkness of the mist, this form remained a hole that sucked away the light.

"There is another! Damn it! We cannot fight it!" I shouted. I repeated my warning, unable to move from where I stood. The form just came closer, even as I heard Kale and Sekhmet still fighting in the background.

"The armors! Get rid of the armors! They want them!" Sekhmet called to me, and his words broke the trance the new, immense power exerted on me. I stripped myself of my armor, and with a great effort, disconnect the armor's power from myself. I saw the portal gleam as Sekhmet threw his own armor orb through, and I gathered enough strength to toss mine in after his.

"Kale!" Sekhmet shouted as Kale continued to battle with the first enemy. Then, I heard him stop fighting, and the portal glimmered again.

"What should I do?" Ariel asked as she flew over to me.

"Go!" I whispered. Without another protest, I felt her flee towards the portal. I glanced back to watch it gleam as she passed through.

Then, I was wrenched away. It had come. I felt a naked sword to my neck, and I found that the first enemy had drug me to my knees. As I now looked up into the face of the first attacker, I felt my throat dry up.

"Kayura?"

The woman laughed, and I realized I recognized the power from her star swords. I studied the weapon against my throat and realized it was indeed one of Kayura's twin jitte.

"You cast away the armors," a melodic voice, with undertones of steel in it, stated, and I knew it was the other presence.

I swooned and felt my bones become almost nothing more than jelly as the powerful entity advanced towards us. It was a woman's voice, but it chilled the blood and weakened any virtue in my soul. Her words echoed in the fog, and I knew then that she sent it. Her words jolted me with power as the tone remained calm and almost sensual.

"Fools. Now we must go get them."

A:N: July 2007 I appologize for spelling/grammar. I finally corrected it to the best of my ability. Well, I hope this gives some appeasement with this story. I'm redoing chapter twenty, which is ridiculously long, and then, I'll recheck the next couple chapters I've written and post them.


	20. Turns of Fate

**Turns of Fate**

**A/N: **Sorry for the infrequency. This chapter took forever to write, but I'm proud to say that everything is getting revised in the next couple of weeks so I can start a more action packed part II to this story. This, by the way, was the end of the original Interim Battles, and the next chapter would have started a new story: Dreams and Realities. But they're all one story now. So, I will update you on what has happened until this point with each character:

**Ryo**: has argue with his former friends (Nilla, Lily, Lee, Akio, and Tomo). He has also quarreled with Kento and Rowen over issues at H'ana High. Ryo has felt uneasy, but he recently has developed a feeling of Kaede.

**Seiji**: has made a somewhat reluctant friendship with Nakiesha, who warms to him after finding out that he has become the bullying target of her brother, Sean, and his friend Bahkura. Consequently, Seiji has become friends with Ryo's friends and also with Zera, who is staying with Nakeisha.

**Cye**: was caught in the middle of the fight between Ryo's friends and Kento's friends, and has made friends with the aloof Zera. He has also been bitten by a werewolf but has hidden it from everyone. He has hurt Lily, who had a crush on him, by refusing to go to the party with her. Previously, Cye went on a date with Lily, but they are not on speaking terms now.

**Kento**: has had a quarrel with Ryo, but he came to an understanding with Akio. Kento was set up on a date with Kayura, which turned out well, but he has refused to go the party.

**Rowen**: was attacked by a shape shifter while having a quarrel with Nilla. Nilla and Rowen are now together, but Rowen has had problems with Kaede, who insists on pursuing him.

**Kayura**: has come back from the Netherworld. She is staying with the Ronins.

**Kaede**: is Kento's friend in Rowen's class, and she pursued Rowen. She is an object of loathing to Nilla, Nakeisha, and Zera, too, but recently, she has found herself attracted to Ryo. She is also friends with Sean, Bahkura, and Kento.

**Nilla**: Ryo's friend who sees visions, but only has told Lily, with whom she is closest. Nilla is with Rowen and was impersonated by a shape shifter, and she is the only other person besides Mia, Yuli, and Kayura, who knows who the Ronins are.

**Lily**: Ryo's friend who is often categorized as over-emotional. She had a crush on Cye.

**Akio**: Ryo's friend who is often called shy, but when he did find the nerve to speak, he was able to sway Kento's opinion of Ryo's friends.

**Tomo**: Akio's twin who is more boisterous than he is. Also Ryo's friend.

**Lee**: Ryo's friend. He is close with Tomo. Lee tries to aggravate the quarrel between Kento, Rowen, and Ryo.

**Nakeisha**: an African American transfer student and a talented artist. Her brother is Sean, but they don't get along, and she has bonded to only Zera and Seiji.

**Zera**: a Russian transfer student. She lives with Nakeisha, and she also gets along with Cye and Seiji. She is also physically intimidating because of her height.

**Sean**: Kento's friend and Nakeisha's brother. He's closest with Bahkura.

**Bahkura**: Kento's friend. He is very much a bully.

**N'deki**: a quiet girl in Ryo's class who is a language tutor, notably to Zera. She heals Ryo, and she has been having visions. She tells Ryo not to tell about her healing abilities, but he tells the other Ronins.

**Sekhemet, Dais, and Kale**: have been recently captured.

**Mia**: is currently in college. Still oversees the mansion.

**Yuli**: is in school. Has had minimal involvement, but does stop by to see the Ronins. He does not live with his parents now, but he is living with his aunt and uncle because his parents never returned from the Netherworld.

**Rinfi**: Kento's younger sister. She is managing the restaurant since he now lives in the mansion and not at home.

So, there are the character summaries. Revision will come to this chapter after I finish the next chapter. Also, there are A LOT of changes after this point from what I originally intended. More on those later.

(Cye)

_'Magical barriers are the most potent protection.'_

I repeated the phrase over in my head several times as I surveyed the sun slipping towards the horizon. I bit my lip, realizing time raced forward, and I was powerless to stop it. I'd spent weeks while everyone else worried about this party meditating at this spot. There was a pool here, which might have been connected directly to the lake at one point. However, now only a small stream languidly moved onward from it towards the larger body of water. Here, under the trees, which hid me from prying eyes, in the peace of forest, I was closest to nature and able to meditate. Also, and most importantly, I was close to as much water as I could find.

Despite all my preparations, I felt my heart pound in my chest, and my muscles were tense as I stared up at the multicolored sky. Would it be enough?

I raked my fingers through my hair as I stepped out of the pool where I'd stood for hours, concentrating on the inner strength that I knew I had to have to survive tonight. Walking away from the pool, I slipped on my shoes again and trecked back through the forest path, probably made by animals, to get to the house. I frowned, realizing how often I'd traveled this path in the past weeks.

It was necessary, I told myself. Everything I'd done was necessary. I'd snuck around, reading the scrolls and as many books as I could find on werewolves and lycanthropy. Of course, I'd never checked a single book out or looked online at the manner. No, Rowen or Seiji probably would have found me out then. Instead, I'd become acquainted with lycanthropy at the library.

I'd done everything I could. Well, except for curing myself -- which was impossible -- and telling the guys. As I walked, I looked down at my feet, and a wave of shame passed through me. Oh, I'd thought about it, but I couldn't do it. No, they would worry, and they would come out here tonight, but there would be nothing they could do.

Then, there was the embarrassment. I didn't want them to have to see me go through this. No, I was on my own tonight.

When I walked through the last of the forest, it was lighter, and for a moment, I felt relieved. The remaining sunlight in the open space gave me hope, and I pulled my head up, put on a pleasant expression that I wasn't feeling, and strode towards the manor. Inside, the lights sparkled downstairs and in many of the upstairs rooms, too. They were getting ready to leave.

Before I entered the house, I took one reflexive look back at the forest, and an involuntary shudder shot down my spine.

(Seiji)

In the distance, through the pane of the window, the sky became the color of scorched earth in the desert – bright, vibrant, and unable to be fully described unless you saw it with your own eyes. I felt my lips tug upwards in a smile, despite the apprehension in my gut. For that moment, the world remained peaceful, and I was at harmony with it.

Then, as the door to my room blew open, I once again descended into the world of chaos. Breezing through the open door came Rowen, followed by Ryo, and both looked perturbed. Rowen, already wearing a suit, came over to me, and Ryo, wrapped in a bath town, with hair still dripping wet, followed him. They both lined up in from of me like two children waiting for their parent to settle a quarrel between them.

"What are you wearing?" Rowen asked bluntly. I felt a smile slide across my face as I surveyed the two of them. "Seriously, Seiji, tell me now."

"Why? The two of you need fashion counseling?" I asked, and retained a perfectly straight face just to watch the looks on their faces sour in unison. This time, it was Ryo who spoke.

"They wear more traditional dress. It's a party to celebrate how much money the family has, but it also serves as a show case of Japanese culture. No suits," Ryo snapped as he looked up at Rowen.

"I wasn't aware it was that much of a deal," Rowen grumbled before he added, "Will they really care?"

"For your information, I am wearing traditional dress," I stated calmly, and while Rowen's expression darkened slightly, Ryo simply nodded and walked out of the room. However, Rowen shot me a reproachful look.

"I wanted this to be a bit more of a date – you know, more modern – with Nilla. Is there a problem with that?" he snapped at me as if I'd personally insulted him. I shook my head, but Rowen had already begun to undress.

"Have you talked to Kento?" I asked Rowen. "I haven't see Cye much today, either."

"As I said last night: it's all about pride. It's just two different types of pride," Rowen stated as he stripped to his boxers. "Cye is too proud to go with anyone, apparently, and Kento is too proud to go unless he is directly asked. Personally, they both could have swallowed those problems."

"A harsh judgment," I commented as Rowen walked out of the room. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. Still, I couldn't understand their actions. However, it had become increasingly clear to me that Kento considered himself the under appreciated man in the group when it came to women. Truthfully, I had noticed, but I thought the date with Kayura would help. However, instead of that date being a launch point for Kento, it seemed to make him more persistent to wait for a girl to ask him to the party. Although it was common for the guy to ask the girl, in most normal cases, Kento seemed obstinate on having the girl ask him. Also, as he resisted all our efforts to hand him a date, and he developed this remarkable sixth sense at detecting when we were behind someone asking him. It became increasingly clear to me that Kento would just have to stay home.

Then, there was Cye, who had been more aloof to the group in general after his rejection of Lily. Although that situation had been messy, I found that it extended deeper than Cye and Lily not going together. Apparently, Cye was determined to go with no one, and Lily adopted the same philosophy. So, tonight, Cye, Lily, and Kento would sit at home. This, in the end, left the rest of us to deal with whatever may happen during the evening.

As Rowen rushed back into the room, he broke my thoughts temporarily. Turning around, I saw he had found a pair of navy _hakama_ to wear, and he was in the process of putting them on as he carried the _haori_ and _obi_ in his arms. As I eyed Rowen, I realized it might be the right time for me to dress, too. I left the room and went to find the _tansu_, where all the kimonos were stored. When I went to the closet, Ryo had finished picking out his kimono, and still wrapped in his towel, went back to his room to dress. Opening one of the draws, I found one of the kimonos I had brought to the manor, but most of mine still remained at the family dojo.

As I entered back into my room, Rowen came over to me, wearing his gray haori, which had a royal blue lining to it. "Tie the obi," Rowen commanded, and I placed my kimono on the bed as I tied up the black obi. As I changed, Rowen tied his hachimaki on his head to hold up his hair, which was still wet from his shower.

"You're not going to attempt anything but the I-just-woke-up-look?" I asked as I put on a pair of black hakama and a navy haori, which had a cream lining of silk that showed by the collar. I handed Rowen the tan obi, which he quickly tied, and I had the feeling it was probably done sloppily.

"I like my hair," Rowen retorted as I began to comb my own hair and apply gel.

"Why did you pick another petty argument with Ryo? You knew we were wearing formal kimonos. We decided on that several days ago," I said in a calm, level voice, trying to get Rowen to respond. With a quick side glance, I caught Rowen roll his eyes as he left the room. I sighed, realizing that the situation tonight with Ryo and Kaede weighed on his mind. Although he had been taciturn, as usual, about the subject, I could think of no other probable reason for his irritation, and I had learned it was what Rowen didn't say that was really on his mind.

Kaede. That girl was at the root of all this, and although I didn't detest her, her actions caused dissention in this house, which bothered me. Rowen's recent decision to contradict or oppose Ryo consisted of the kimono and suit argument, but it had ranged from food and movie choices to invading Ryo's space and refusing to help him with homework. However, there had been no extreme hostilities, like with the Nilla issue, but the tension had built up to the point where both of them just kept doing opposite things to annoy the other one.

"Seiji, would you tie my obi?" Ryo asked with a crisp, irritated edge in his voice. Instead of pressing the topic of Kaede, I quietly did as he asked and tied the gray obi cord. As Ryo turned and left with a passing, "Thank you," I noted that he looked regal in the crimson haori, which contrasted with the black hakama.

When I finished my hair, I slipped on the wooden geta sandals I was going to wear, and then headed downstairs to wait for Yayoi, who would drive us because Mia was busy. As I descended the steps, I saw Rowen seated at the table, eating a quick bowl of cereal before he left. I resisted the urge to swipe the bowl away from him so he couldn't get anything on his kimono.

To distract myself, I walked into the living room, where Cye and Kento were seated. Each held a controller as one of the multitudes of video games Kento owned flashed on the screen. By the looks of it, Cye was winning, which was unusual, and Kento seemed thoroughly uninterested in the game. His blank, glazed stare was devoid of the usual aggressiveness which Kento applied to pointless games.

"I like it," Cye said as he gestured towards me. He paused the game and looked up at me. "Even Nakeisha can't be beastly to you tonight."

"Please don't put it past her abilities," I replied, and I felt the corners of my mouth drop. Cye gave me a sympathetic look, and he glanced at Kento, who continued to stare at the screen.

"Do you want to play some more?" Cye asked, but the other man just shrugged. Cye and I shot a quick look of concern between us before Cye turned off the TV screen. "Let's go wait for your sister. Come on, Kento."

With a grunt, Kento pushed himself out of the chair and trudged after us when we went into the main hallway. With a ceiling the extended the full height of the house, the entrance was impressive, and some light still filtered through the sky lights. Above the door, the last rays of sunlight streamed through the triangle shaped stained glass window, which cast a multicolored pattern across the marble floor. Standing by one of the windows beside the door, Rowen kept a silent watch on the driveway. Sitting in one of the chairs in the room, Ryo seemed intend on studying the colors and patterns on the floor.

Again, I glanced over at Cye, who frowned and gave a slight shrug. He could do nothing to help me tonight. I sighed and took a seat in one of the other chairs as Cye and Kento leaned against the wall while we waited for my sister.

(Nakeisha)

"Hold still," my mother muttered as she jabbed a hair pin, ornamented with fake topazes, into the side of my head. Withstanding that this was a somewhat formal event, I had allowed my mother to only pull my hair up in a bun, which she secured to my head. However, she had surprised me by adding the touch of the hair pin, which was in the shape of a bird. Personally, with all the topaz, I fancied the bird to be a phoenix, and this eased the fact that this large, ridiculous object was attached to my head.

"You look lovely," my mother commented as she clasped her hands over her face. The mirror across from me reflected my face, only with a more even skin tone due to the addition of makeup. Some eye shadow helped to make my eyes 'pop' – according to my mother – and the hair completed my most formal appearance in years.

"I guess," I replied nonchalantly as I stood up, examining the honey yukata I had chosen to wear. The pattern, which consisted of maroon and gold fireflies darting through a series of burgundy irises, fit well with the maroon obi I had chosen to wear with it. Inwardly, I consented that my mother was right: I looked very well put together.

"Zera, dear, are you sure you don't want me to pull your hair up?" my mother asked Zera again, who shook her head. I felt a twinge of jealously go through me, but I had to silently applaud Zera's obstinacy. Because my mother was lenient on her since she wasn't a blood member of the family, Zera had gotten to choose how she did her hair, unlike me, who was forced into having it put up. If I were in her place, I probably would've chosen the same way.

"You look good," I complimented my friend, and my mother shot me a disapproving look at not encouraging her to bind up her hair.

A smile flickered across Zera's face as she said, "So do you." We'd picked complementing yukatas, except that her yukata was a crème color with a pattern of black wolves racing between stalks of emerald bamboo. Around her waste, she wore a complementing navy obi, which added a different color to the ones in the yukata. Her hair, which she had taken the time to add some extra curl to with the iron, fell below her shoulder blades, and I personally thought she looked very polished and regal. I was sure that no other girl would be dressed like her, though.

"Hey!" Sean called from downstairs, "Let's go! We have to pick up my date!"

"We're coming!" I shouted as Zera and I slipped into a pair of the wooden sandals we were going to wear that night. With a sigh, I realized these things would become cumbersome if I chose to dance. Well, I knew Zera had made it clear that she didn't want to dance, and I couldn't see Akio trying to oppose her. Once again, just thinking about quiet, tiny Akio, who coincidently came to Zera's chest, taking her to the dance brought an involuntary smile to my lips.

When we climbed into the car, Sean thankfully sat up front, which would leave the back seat for the two of us girls and his date. As my dad climbed into the front seat, I noticed that Sean had chosen a simple, gray male version of the yukata.

"Sean, I believe you're wearing something close to a dress," I commented, and felt a flush of pleasure as Sean scowled.

"Hey, sis, you look like a girl," he retorted.

"You're actually wearing something close to a belt," I commented, and Sean's irritation deepened, but we both calmed as my dad pulled out of the garage and got us onto the road. It didn't take us too long to reach Sean's date, Miss I-look-like-every-other-girl-in-the-school-what's-her-name's, house. Sean went in to get his date, and he soon reappeared with a girl in a pink yukata and a bright pattern of lavender and yellow flowers. The girl climbed into the back and thankfully sat on Zera's side. I got personal pleasure out of the uneasy looks she gave Zera, and I could tell that Zera's yukata didn't agree to her tastes. Soon enough, though, we reached the farthest point we could go in a car, and my dad dropped us off.

"It's huge," Zera muttered as we climbed out and got our first glimpse of the Takanowi mansion. Naturally, the mansion was gated, and since we were only waiting by the entrance of the gates, we could only glimpse the roof and windows of the upper floors of the mansion. Still, it glittered like a lantern, and I heard music coming from the gardens between the gate and the house.

"We're going in," Sean said as he went to go get cleared with the gate guards. However, Zera and I stayed to wait on our dates while people in brightly dressed kimonos and yukatas breezed past us. While we waited, I noticed groups of guards were patrolling the perimeter to keep anyone from causing trouble outside the gate and the wall.

"He hired his own police force," Zera noted as her lips twitched up in a sardonic smile. "Ah, police armies are more like home."

"Don't say that too loud," I muttered to her as I kept watch for anyone that looked like Seiji coming my way. Once again, I thought of my charity towards that man, but secretly consented to myself that it might have been worth it. However, the night would become infinitely better if I never saw Kaede.

"Hello!" Nilla shouted as she walked across the street, and we both turned our heads to see Ryo, Rowen, Seiji, and Nilla approach us. I couldn't keep a smile off my face as I realized that all four of them looked genuinely lovely. Instead of a yukata, Nilla wore a homongi, which had mid-length sleeves instead of the long, sweeping oburisode sleeves that accompanied the more formal furisode kimono.

"I like it," Nilla commented as she approached us first. "Interesting choices. I told the guys you wouldn't be wearing flowers."

"I didn't say they would," Rowen commented as he reached us next. However, with a broad grin, he spun Nilla around so we could see her ornately tied obi, which resembled a flower bursting into bloom.

"That's amazing," Zera commented. "Who did that?"

"My aunt did because my mother is rather bad at tying an obi into more than the typical pattern of a married woman," Nilla explained as she struggled away from Rowen and turned to face us again. Her kimono, which I expected was from her family, also, was white with a pattern of emerald green maple leaves intertwined with a myriad of lavender flowers, and little, crimson lizards appeared hidden behind a flower or under a leaf. Her obi, obviously more ornate than either of ours, was emerald green, and darker, pine green maple leaves appeared on the obi as well. Overall, the kimono drew the eyes up to her face, which had been powdered a lighter shade than normal, and her brilliant auburn hair.

"You've outclassed us," I said with a shrug. "Rowen should be thanking you for taking the time to look this lovely."

"Did that," Rowen commented, but he pursed his lips in a hard line as Ryo, followed by Seiji, approached. Out of all the men, Ryo had chosen to wear the brightest color, and, like Nilla, his impression was striking. Initially, I thought it was the color, but seeing Ryo transferred into traditional Japanese dress increased his aura to that of possible nobility. However, the realization that he was going with Kaede tempered my enthusiasm, and the group went silent for a time.

"We should go. There's a line at the gate to get checked," Nilla said as she tugged Rowen's arm. Without complaint, Rowen walked away, and Nilla turned back towards us and said, "We'll meet you inside!"

With that, the two disappeared, and Seiji took their place in the little oval we had formed on the edge of the sidewalk. Before he spoke, Seiji gazed at my appearance, and a smile broke over his face. I groaned mentally, expecting the Sean remark, and snapped, "What?"

"Oh, I like the choice of color. It suits you," Seiji replied with a nod. I gave him a brief, apologetic smile, which probably looked more like a grimace.

"Like the avian decoration in my hair?" I asked sarcastically.

Seiji chuckled at my comment. "Although you might not believe it, you do look really great tonight. You are very polished."

"I take it that means you'll be okay to be seen in public with me?" I asked with a hint of a challenge in my voice.

"Do you have to ask?" he said, and he smirked at my comment. Maybe it was the atmosphere, or the fact that we'd grown used to taking teasing jabs at each other, but I couldn't keep the same smirk from sliding over my face, too.

"There's Akio and Tomo," Ryo spoke for the first time, and he turned to motion the twins over to us. As I expected, Akio wore the more traditional hakama and haori, both in black, while Akio had opted to wear an indigo yukata with a black sash.

"Where's Nilla?" Tomo asked as he came over, and I noticed that his date, too, was in tow. Once again, I didn't know her, but I thought her simple black yukata with a white and red flower pattern was very tasteful.

"Nilla and Rowen went inside," Seiji told them. "We were waiting for you, and then we were going to go inside ourselves."

"I'll wait for Kaede," Ryo volunteered and diffused the awkwardness that would have happened when I would have told him there was no way I was waiting for that slut. However, Seiji gave a brief nod, and the six of us departed from Ryo to enter the mansion.

Once we were walking, Akio seemed to realize that he needed to go and stand beside Zera because he was her date. Awkwardly, he slipped up beside her, but Zera made no move to speak or acknowledge his presence. However, Akio found his voice and muttered, "That's an interesting choice for a pattern. Am I correct in saying that bamboo is typically a winter pattern?"

"I liked it," Zera replied in the hard, firm tone of voice she tended to use when she felt particularly annoyed at the question. However, Seiji paused and scanned her yukata, apparently scrutinizing the pattern. When Zera saw this, she said, "I suppose you don't like it either?"

"I've come to expect nonconformity from you," Seiji said politely, but his nose wrinkled slightly at the same time. "Well, I think the black wolves are a bit distasteful."

"Think what you want. I like them," Zera replied as she fingered one of the wolves on her yukata. As she did this, I caught a frown pass over Seiji's face, but all of the petty squabbling and uneasiness quickly disappeared as we were checked by the guards and ushered into the festive Takanowi gardens.

(Kaede)

The air tingled, both thrilling and calming me consecutively. The twilight, with its sweet dying rays of sun, beckoned me and made me alive. Night was approaching, and the thought fired my blood. As the last of the light sank away, I felt my heart calm, but the tranquility that now came over me unnerved and excited me at the same time. My newfound calmness that I'd developed since stepping out onto the street was a prelude to what was to come.

I didn't know what was coming.

However, I'd spent the entire day getting ready and fretting. Actually, my preparations had started almost the moment I thought about what I was going to wear to the Takanowi party now that I was going with Ryo.

Was it Ryo that was at the center of my anxiety? I said no, but then, I couldn't think of anything else that it could be, but Ryo seemed so, well, almost insignificant for me to put so much effort and thought into my preparations for this night.

While I could have worn a low key furisode, and that would have even been over dressed, I suppose, or a yukata, I decided to go to seek out my grandmother, who still had the connections to procure me a version of the juni-hinto kimono that I desired to wear. It was not actually from the Henian period, but it had been designed after the old style of kimono wearing, and I felt in my gut an obsession to wear this kimono.

I was told I was insane to ask for it, but I begged, and as most things were, it was given to me. Now, I had to be dressed, and it took a while to put all twelve of those layers onto my body, but the artistic sensibility of the woman, which was indicated by the color scheme, was the most important part of the juni-hinto. Then, I decided to put on the make-up, but I had to have help with that, too. On a whim, I decided to have my make-up done in the traditional geisha style. My grandmother helped me, there, and when the white make-up first went on, I appeared as if someone had cut holes in a paper mask. Then, of course, I left a line of skin bare around my hairline and on the back of my neck.

Then, when my eyebrows had been redrawn and colored pigment had been added to my flour white mask, I had my hair pulled up. The style was elaborate, and overall, when I turned to gaze at myself in the long mirror, my hair evoked nothing more than the image of a black turban covered with flowers. However, the silks evoked the blues and purples of the evening, but there was silver, cream, red, and some touches of green, which – in my mind – brought to mind a picture of twilight and the coming of night. In essence, the very moment I would arrive at the party is what I wanted the juni-hinto to reflect, and I knew I didn't even look this amazing when I went with Takanowi himself.

What was it for? I had asked myself that question, and I didn't know. As I walked to the Takanowi house during dusk, I realized that I didn't know exactly what I expected. For once, I had no expectations as a strolled towards the mansion as the air started to cool.

I listened, and I heard the birds chirping and the world come alive as the sounds of the party floated towards me. I smiled and released the tension inside of me like the tightening of a string. Tonight, whatever it was, seemed right, and I felt new. For the first time since I had embraced my womanhood, I felt innocent and completely unused. Like a young girl peering into her mother's closet at all the big-girl clothes, I forgot the games and the politics of being older and embraced the wonder of just being where I was tonight.

Tonight, the world, although it did not glitter, shown more vibrantly in all its colors. I felt as if I hadn't seen the world for months, and now, I saw it again for the first time after being freed from a prison cell. Around me, subtle hues in the encroaching evening were more beautiful than the vivid colors at noontide. Then, the birds had begun to sing the evening song, and music joined the chattering in the air as I caught tight of the gates and the Takanowi mansion.

However, I went to search for Ryo, who wasn't standing at the gate. As I cut through the crowd, which mostly parted for me, I kept looking for him. And then, a wall of people parted, and I saw him.

I saw him and crossed the Rubicon.

Standing there, even looking slightly perturbed, he seemed like something entirely new. As I stared at him, my imagination ran, and I could think of him as nothing but some mighty feudal lord in his crimson, blood red haori. As he stood there, no noticing me yet, I took the time to examine his features. As I looked over Ryo, I thought he looked royal, and I felt like I had gone away for years and suddenly come home to see the things I truly loved for the first time. No, it wasn't that, it was a different feeling . . .

"Kaede!" Ryo shouted my name, but it was in utter surprise. For a moment, we both stared at each other, and I appreciated how he examined me like I had examined him moments before. Then, with slow steps, we walked over towards me, and I walked towards him to bridge the distance between us.

"Sanada Ryo," I murmured, hoping I would betray none of the anxieties I felt, "I am pleased to see you this evening. Shall we go?"

"Absolutely," Ryo said as he held out his arm, and I gratefully took it. Arm in arm, we led our own regal promenade towards the gates. Even through the robes, I felt the warmth and pressure of his arm, and the pleasure those sensations gave me made the throngs of people who parted, whispered, and stared at us seem insignificant because I knew, indeed, that we were spectacular.

(Ryo)

Glancing down the street, I looked away from everyone as they walked towards the gate. If they didn't want to wait for Kaede, fine. The irritability sat like a rock in my stomach, and I simply could not make myself pleasurable tonight towards anyone. Seiji, whose sixth sense to detect the unbalance in people hadn't failed him, seemed to notice that I had been quarrelsome with Rowen. In all fairness, Rowen started the squabbling most of the time over any number of things. In the end, I wanted him to let it go, but I knew he wouldn't until I let go of Kaede.

Well, he had let her go, first, so if I wanted to be with her now, I didn't see how it affected him any more. With Nilla, although they argued, Rowen seemed happy, unlike when he was with Kaede, who seemed to drive him slightly mad.

Kaede. An image of beauty that paraded herself around to show the extent of her lovely features. I couldn't deny that she was lovely, but I never held the special attraction to her that many of the other guys I knew did. As we grew older, she became an object of all that was lustful to Lee, and at the same time, a symbol of what he could never have. I, in the typical mode with which I treated most things at that time, never dreamed of having the impossible goal of dating and being with Kaede. Yes, I would cast a glance at her and admire her when I passed her, but nothing more.

She took no notice of me. I took no notice of her. Then, something shifted and changed between us that was so subtle, but I felt her presence like a magnet that I just couldn't stay away from when I went around her, now. Was it her rejection of Rowen? I didn't think that had anything to do with it, though. That moment, where she had let her guard fall in the forest, caught me. It stuck in my mind and kept me from loosing my resolve to be with her tonight. I wanted to know – I had to know – if that moment was a whimsical flicker of fate or if it was something real.

Then, I turned my head and saw her.

"Kaede!" I cried before I could stop myself. She was recognizable, yet, she seemed to come from a different world beyond everything normal and boring. After I called to her, I couldn't move for a moment as I gazed at her, wearing the flour white face of a geisha and the dress of a noble woman. At that moment, I felt like I looked back into time, and here, in front of me, stood a living example of feudal nobility or possibly an example of some ancient deity that now only lived in stories.

But, eventually, I realized I couldn't just stand there and stare. I took slow steps towards her, and when we were about two body lengths away from each other, she murmured, "Sanada Ryo. I am pleased to see you this evening. Shall we go?"

"Absolutely," I replied, and then, I held out my arm to her. She took it, and I was aware of how close we stood. As we ambled to the gate, I couldn't help but feel that she was an empress that I had stumbled upon. Yet, even though the pressing of her arm upon mine sent shivers of excitement down my spine, I didn't feel over powered by her presence like many men did. However, I couldn't deny that there was a strength and a potency to her beauty that made the palms of my hands break out in a clammy sweat.

After we cleared with guards at the gate, we strolled along the main path, which was lined with lanterns hung in the many trees and filled with chattering groups of people. The path led up to the mansion, where light poured from almost every window. Indeed, the Takanowi mansion dwarfed Mia's grandfather's house, which wasn't a shabby place at all. Each tree, too, seemed in the prime of life, and the fragrance of many flowers, natural and exotic, filled the air.

"I like the gardens best," Kaede commented, and I turned my attention towards her. As I looked at her again, everything about her appearance just seemed so . . . right.

"They're lovely," I agreed as I watched a group of people walk by us and shoot us stares of wonder or envy, but maybe it was both at the same time. "I see you got what you wanted. People are looking at you, as usual."

"They're looking at you, too," Kaede told me, and a frown creased her face. She gestured to her outfit with the arm that I didn't have and said, "Is that why you thought I did this?"

"Well, I can't think of a better reason unless I'm vain and say it's for me," I told her as a smirk slid over my lips. She opened her mouth to say something in return, but the only sound that came out was a melodic laugh.

"To the gardens?" I paused in front of a separate path veering off into the depths of the garden. Kaede nodded, and when I turned, she turned in step with me. As we walked away from the crowd, I heard the song of birds, possibly nightingales, singing from a distance. Then, when we had distanced ourselves more from the main path which most people were following into the house, I heard some piped-in music by a lovely flutist. Also, hanging from each tree were more of the lights, which provided all the light since the sun had set completely and the moon had only began to rise up into the sky.

"You know, Ryo, I'm fascinated with you," Kaede replied, and I smirked at her until I realized that she was completely serious. A smile had appeared on her face when she spoke, and she seemed to be looking past the lovely gardens into a place I couldn't see.

"Well, I'll return the compliment," I told her, and I hoped she could tell I meant that, too. However, she only sighed before turning her gaze on me again.

"I don't know a lot about you, Ryo. We've lived in the same city, gone to the same school, yet we hardy know each other. Your name is familiar. Tell me about yourself." Her last statement was a demand, and as we continued walking at our ambling pace, I realized she was absolutely right. I didn't know very much about her, either.

"Circumstances didn't work out in us being . . . together before, eh?" I muttered to myself, but then, I turned towards her. However, Kaede nodded, but I could tell she was waiting for me to continue speaking.

"I'm not related to any of the famous Sanadas, as far as I know, but the name stems from them in some form, I guess. Anyway, the only ancestors I know were farmers, but more recently, my great-grandfather left the land to be in the military. Then, my grandfather worked in business and practiced kendo for a time. Then, my father went into journalism and photography, and here I am."

After I stopped talking, I realized I had turned away from her while I talked, and I immediately snapped my head around to face her again. Kaede, though, kept staring off into unknown space while I stared at her. As we ambled towards a pool with a little wooden bridge extending over it, Kaede began to speak.

"My grandmother was a geisha. She did it because it was in the family, and she was extremely beautiful, like people have said I am. However, I don't think I'm more beautiful than she was. Well, my point is that, during the war, she stopped being a geisha. She left Kyoto, and she met my grandfather, Kaisho. One thing led to another, and they married and had their only child, Kimiyo. Now, my mother was beautiful, too, and she went and married several men, and I came from her second husband. She didn't stay married to men long because of the demands of working such an important position at her company, and consequently, I'm her only child."

"Well, we share one thing in common," I replied dryly. "My father was never around much because of his work as a photographer. He travels the world, you know, and now that I'm old enough, he leaves me money to basically do what I want. The other parent, for me my mom, was absent from my life, too."

Silence strayed between us, and when we walked half-way across the bridge, Kaede paused and refused to let me move. However, she didn't release my arm, but steered me over to the railing. Then, she let go of me and put both hands on the polished wooden rail. I stared down into the water, where candles floated on plastic lotus buds, and watched the gold fish swim, oblivious to the festivities above them.

"My mother did teach me something, Ryo," Kaede said, but she didn't look at me and spoke down to the water. "She taught me not to trust people. She told me that no man can keep up with a successful woman. I want to be successful, but I don't want to be like her."

"So you don't want to end up alone?" I asked, waiting to hear what Kaede would say. I had never seen her so intimate, and I found myself wanting to listen.

"I don't want my heart broken, either," she muttered. "Controlling my relationships is all about lack of trust."

"So, out of all those people you've dated, you didn't trust any of them?" I asked her. "I couldn't imagine trusting absolutely no one."

"Well, I've had a hard time of it," she said dryly, "but I guess I sort of trust Bahkura, Kento, and Sean, if only to an extent."

"Then what are you doing here, with me, if you know you're not going to trust me anyway?" I asked, suddenly feeling liked I'd been tricked. If she already knew how she would feel and what she would do, then why bother?

"I guess I want to do what my mother couldn't and find someone who I can be with," Kaede said, and this time she glanced up at me. "I try, but no one meets my standards. I thought Rowen might, but you saw how that ended."

"Yes, and everyone's got flaws. I do, but I think I try." I was sincere, and I kept eye contact while I told her so. I did try, and I knew I was jin for a reason. However, I didn't know if there was anything I could say, without revealing myself totally, that would convince her that she could trust me. No, I didn't think I could tell her she could trust me because, then, she probably wouldn't do that very thing because I told her.

"You see, I want someone who won't dominate me, but who isn't weak, either. That, it seems, is in short supply," Kaede said, more to herself and than to me.

"Being able to confide who you truly are in someone is very important. There seems to be a lack of that, too," I commented, and I watched her eyes scrutinize my face when I spoke. If she said what she really wanted in someone, I thought I should put a deep desire out there as well.

"We're sharing right now," Kaede replied, and the corners of her mouth twitched upwards. However, it was a weak and pathetic attempt at a smile, and I felt the corners of my mouth tug down in a frown. No, we really weren't sharing as much as she thought.

"Like you said, we hardly know each other." After I spoke, we turned away from each other and stared down into the water. Despite the things left unsaid, I felt closer to her as we stood in silence. At that moment, with the flute music and the lights, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Should I reach for her hand? Kiss her? Talk to her more?

"Ryo," Kaede broke the silence, and I looked over at her again, and she turned her head away from the water to look at me, too. "When I saw you tonight, I felt like . . . I had been away for a long time. I felt like I was just coming home, and I saw, for the first time in a long time, some thing I liked and was used to seeing, but because I was away, I forgot how much I liked it."

"No," I said, realizing what she was trying to say, "You went away for a long time, came home, and saw something that you never looked at before now. You saw something that you always thought was plain and ordinary."

After a pause, and a brief frown, Kaede consented, "I suppose you're right, but the point is, that when I came home, everything felt new, and that ordinary, plain thing that I never looked at appeared to be the most wonderful thing in the world to me." She paused, as if for dramatic effect, and then said, "Ryo, that's how I felt when I saw you tonight. I don't know why I never noticed you before, but I didn't. For whatever reason, I'm just attracted to your presence. I felt anxious all day, like something extremely important was going to happen tonight, but I wasn't quite sure what it would be. I think it was you."

I couldn't help but chuckling. "You make me sound important."

"To me, you are," Kaede told me while every feature remained completely serious. Her eyes didn't mock or tease, and her lips didn't twitch up in a smile or slump down into a frown. She meant it, and I felt floored.

"I don't want to disappoint your high expectations," I told her, but when I said this, her lips sunk down into a frown again.

"You're different. I feel as if . . . I don't know, but I like being around you." All Kaede could do was shrug at her last statement. I realized that words had failed her, and this time, I reached out and took the hand that was closet to me. For a moment, she froze in my grasp, and then, she clenched my hand back.

I wanted there to be fireworks and sparks shooting between us as we turned to face each other. I wanted something dramatic, maybe a meter shower or our names written in the heavens, as we both bent in to kiss. However, as I closed my eyes while our lips and tongues explored each other's faces, I heard the music. I guess it would be enough.

"I liked that," Kaede muttered as she released me after some amount of time. Truly, I couldn't tell how long we'd embraced, and I could only nod my reply. Slowly, a smile slid up onto Kaede's face. "Again."

Then, we went at each other again. This time, I grasped her around the neck to pull her head closer to mine. A thrill shot down my spine as I felt the bare, make-up free spot around the back of her neck. I felt her fingers grasp at my back, and she let out a soft moan as our mouths parted again.

"Fantastic," Kaede whispered as she took a step backward so we were now a body length apart. "Ryo, let's do that again."

"You don't want to go inside?" I asked her. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Sure. If you feel comfortable," she replied, and I knew what she meant.

"I don't think I want to be around any of them, especially Rowen or Nilla, tonight," I said, and although my words surprised me, I knew they were true. "I want to be with only you tonight, Kaede."

"That's good, because I'm starting to question why I spent so much time worrying over Rowen," Keade replied, and brief flicker of disgust flashed in her eyes. Then, a small smile appeared on her lips again as she came over to me. "Let's go inside."

"And find a room?" I asked her. She saw my smirk and laughed, and her voice rang over the music like a chime.

"Maybe later," Kaede teased, and I offered her my arm again. She took it.

(Nilla)

"Having a good night?" I asked Rowen as we strolled with the crowds down the main pathway that led to the mansion. The stream of people was steady, so I realized that we'd probably meet up with everyone else inside the house. I didn't want to disturb the traffic flow because ambling along side Rowen was simply relaxing and nice.

"Now I am," he said as he looked down at me with a lopsided smirk on his face. "You?"

"Oh, if you are, I am," I replied as I poked him in the side with my elbow. "Just don't think about it."

"I'm trying. Thank you for getting me away at the gate. I don't want to see her, and especially her with him." Rowen wrinkled his nose as if he smelled something bad. Although he was ambiguous, I knew exactly what he meant by 'her' and 'him.' Personally, I didn't blame him, and I hoped Ryo was wise enough to keep her away from us, even if he was dumb enough to let her near him. For me, she had been nothing but trouble. However, as Rowen reached down and squeezed my hand, I pulled away from my fears about her and Ryo. I returned Rowen's affection with a squeeze of my own.

"I miss Lily," I replied as we walked under cherry trees in bloom with the lanterns hanging from them. The gentle lantern light lingered under every tree and created an atmosphere that was comfortable, romantic, and mysterious at the same time. I felt like I was being taken to another world, a different place, and I liked the feeling.

"Well, I don't share your misery, but she's okay," Rowen tried to reassure me, but he continued and said, "I'm glad she's not here with Cye because everyone, but her, would have been miserable."

"Yeah, they're not the best match, are they? Akio has liked her for a long time, but she just hasn't bothered because he's so shy. Well, he was going to ask her, but then she refused to go at all. Ah, what a situation. At least you weren't that stubborn for once," I commented and gave Rowen's hand an extra squeeze.

The one side of his mouth twitched up as he teased, "Well, you got lucky, I guess. I felt very forgiving the day you asked me."

"I just make you weak," I joked as I looked up and wrinkled up my entire face into an exaggerated smile. As I wanted, he burst out laughing and made a childish gesture of sticking his tongue out at me. Then, I couldn't contain myself and laughed, too. By that time, we had reached the mansion, and we passed through the wide double doors.

Inside, a chandelier hovered over the marble floor of the entrance way. From another room, I heard the steady bass beat of music, which had the sole purpose of getting people to dance. People in brightly colored kimonos ascended and descended the spiral staircase which rose up floor after floor. However, security guards patrolled the area around the stairs, and I noticed several in the entranceway, too. However, Rowen and I simply stepped to the side and out of the way of the crowds going up the stairs, into one of the rooms on the right, or the left, of the entrance way.

"There's a lot of meticulous detail in the banner that you can't even notice from here," I told Rowen as people passed us. He nodded as he studied each of the two main floor exits.

"Where do those lead?" he asked.

"Well, I think the right will take us to the food, and the left will take us to the sitting room. I think the dancing is in the dining room," I explained as I tried to recall where the various rooms where.

"You waited," Seiji said as he stepped through the entranceway and spotted us. Nakeisha, Zera, and Akio entered after him, and they came over towards us. "What do we do now?"

"I'm hungry," Rowen commented before anyone said anything. "Let's eat, and then we can think about how to blow away this evening."

"I like that," Nakeisha agreed, which pretty much settled everything. When Nakeisha agreed, it was a sign from the gods just to do it. However, I realized that, as everyone looked at me, they expected me to lead them towards the food, so I turned to the right. Soon, we were in room, which was connected to a kitchen, in which we weren't allowed, where food was brought out from and laid upon trays and tables. From here, the music increased, and I could see people dancing through the archway into the dining room. However, this room was smaller and more intimate, and a door led from here to the gardens, too.

"Sushi," Rowen muttered as he went over and began to collect his food. I remembered what he told me about his blood sugar, so I typically didn't tease him about the amount he would eat. As I scanned the various dishes, I settled on some shrimp and an egg roll. I decided to take a glass of water before walking over to Seiji, Akio, and Zera, who had already gotten their food.

"Let's go upstairs. I want to see it," Nakeisha said as she walked over behind me. Then, we waited for Rowen before going back to the main entrance to ascend the spiraling staircase. However, we didn't stop on the next landing but continued to the second. When Nakiesha, who had taken the lead, turned to go down a hallway on the third floor, everyone simply followed her. Several guards stood in front of some doors that we weren't allowed inside, but we found another sitting room on that floor and went into eat.

Zera sat in the available chair, and Nakiesha perched herself on the edge of a table. Mentally, I cringed at the informality of that, but I let her go because she would just do it anyway. Without further ado, I began to eat my shrimp, and everyone was silent while we took the first bites of our food.

"I'm liking this thing more every moment," Rowen said as he sucked down a piece of sushi.

"That's good because I'd hate you in your normal mood." My jibe got the desired result of a mock smile from Rowen. With a smirk on my lips, and I continued eating.

"I saw they posted the test results," Seiji commented. "Once again, I see Rowen out scored everyone else."

"Zera didn't do badly either," Rowen commented as he finished swallowing a bit of food. "Actually, she scored fifth highest, which is the best she's done all year."

"Congrats. Rowen said you're almost as smart as he is," I teased, and Rowen reached over and filched the egg roll off my plate for that remark. Then, I noticed Akio, who stood, as usual, quiet and subdued outside the little bubble that we had formed to talk in a group. "Well, Akio got class secretary recently. I guess that makes us a pretty outstanding group."

At this, Akio blushed, but Seiji said, "That's good. I never found the time, and Rowen doesn't have the ambition."

I put my hand over my mouth to hide the food in it while I laughed. With a wave of his hand, Rowen blew it off. "Yeah, yeah, you just wish you were as good as me."

"Oh, but I'm better," I told Rowen mockingly. "You see, I'm just waiting to show everyone how good I really am. I'm the best of all of you."

"That's great. Tell me when it happens," Rowen jibed, and I rolled my eyes and stole a piece of his sushi.

"The moon is up," Zera commented, and all of us turned to stare out the window. She was right, and the full moon had risen over the horizon and hung among the less bright stars. The silvery orb cast its pale light among the warm rays the lanterns gave off and bathed the garden in light.

"Let's go for a walk," I chirped. "It's lovely."

"I agree with that," Seiji said as he made a movement towards the door.

"I want more sushi," Rowen muttered, but he still followed us downstairs. Once again, we passed through the entranceway and into the food room, but Zera, Nakeisha, and Akio proceeded towards the door while Seiji and I waited for Rowen to grab more food.

Casually, I glanced over towards the door to the kitchen. However, leaning against the door frame was Lily, who was completely nude. I gasped, and the sound seemed sucked away from the room. Then, I noticed a man, but he had his back turned to me, come over to Lily. He, too was completely naked, and he drew Lily away from the wall. She looked faint and allowed him to bring her into his grasp. When he did, I saw Lily reach up and claw at his shoulders before her head slumped over his one shoulder. However, with one hand, he turned her face back to his. Suddenly, I felt my heart racing, and I struggled to move towards them, but I couldn't.

Then, the sound rushed back into the world, and I toppled over and fell backwards instead of forwards. "Nilla!" Rowen hissed as I collided with him. Frantically, I looked towards the kitchen, but both Lily and the man were gone.

"Lily," I whispered. "Gods, Lily!"

"Nilla, she's not here," Seiji's whispered into my ear, and his voice soothed me. "What's wrong?"

I waited until Rowen came over, and Seiji gently led me towards the corner of the room. He handed me his half empty glass of water, and I gladly took a drink to calm my nerves. Both men looked at me, and I knew they were both concerned for my well-fare, and I thought I must be as white as a corpse. Then, after I took time to steady my heart rate, I muttered, "I saw Lily. She . . . was being violated by this man. I couldn't see him, but I knew her."

"Where?" Rowen asked anxiously.

"At the kitchen doorway, but I was hallucinating," I murmured, and I wished that I knew what I actually saw. Did it happen already? Was it going to happen? Who was that man? From what I knew, Lily was a virgin.

"Have you seen anything like this before?" Seiji asked me. I bit my lower lip and shrugged. I couldn't decide if my other hallucinations counted, but this one was the most intense and the most personal hallucination I'd ever had.

"Well, nothing like this," I told both of them, and my voice wobbled when I told them about the man who scared me. "I've . . . never seen Lily before, but don't worry about it."

"Well, for now, at least," Seiji commented, and then, he began to walk casually towards the door that led to the garden. I looked up at Rowen, who reached over and squeezed my hand.

"Remember that Lily is okay?" he muttered to me as he led me towards the gardens. Somehow, I wasn't so sure now.

(N'deki)

The bolt whizzed through the air. It shot straight for my forehead.

I was going to die.

Then, my hands came up and caught the bolt of lightening, which is what it looked like to me, between my two hands. How? No, these weren't my hands that gripped the solid, golden rod between their palms. I didn't have reflexes that fast, and once again, I felt a weight on my body, and I couldn't see the flesh on my hands.

Then, a single wave of pain shot through the golden shaft, striking me in the forehead. The power seared and burned, and I heard a crack.

My skull! Dear gods, I couldn't think it was anything but my skull!

I shot upright, my hands groping my forehead, trying to prevent the injury. Except, that once again, there was no tangible injury, and I was sitting on my bed with a blanket over my shoulders. When I had shot upright, the book I had been reading when I fell asleep tumbled to the floor, and I kicked off the blankets that seemed to constrain me.

I went to the mirror and stared back at my reflection as I took the time to examine my face. Gods, that vision had been so powerful, and it took finally seeing my reflection to convince myself that nothing traumatic had happened to me. My skin remained the same paper pale color with zits around my hairline. Then, I tugged my fingers through my hair, glad to feel the limp, mousy brown strands that had always been part of my head. Despite my trauma, I was entirely myself. But, like at the end of most of my dreams, I was covered in sweat, so I went over and tugged open the window.

As I stuck my head outside the window for a moment, the night air rushed at me and cooled my clammy skin. I sighed, trying to banish the ridiculous way that the dreams bothered me. It was ironic that I felt like I dreamed of myself, but I knew it wasn't me in those scenes. As the dreams came and then left me in a panicked sweat, I realized that I was seeing someone else's life. Whose life? I didn't know.

After I felt sufficiently cooled, I pulled my head back inside the window of my room. Beside the bed, my reading lamp still produced a wane ray of light. The light bulb only provided enough sickly light to strike the edge of my bed and illuminate anything that I was reading. Then, I noticed the book on the floor and went over to pick it up, and, as an after thought, stripped off my clothes and put on yellow and green striped pajama pants and a gray tank top. I didn't want to really fall asleep again, but my clothes were sweaty, and the new clothes helped me to forget the dream.

I heard the _swoosh_ first, and I looked up from my book in time to see a large creature, because it was definitely not a bird, dart through the open window. In a flurry of feathers and the cracking bones, the creature nose dived into my floor.

I shrieked and leapt off my bed, and I was surprised that I actually landed on both feet. Now that the creature had, for the most part, stopped moving, I could see that it was something that looked like a harpy or a fierce tengu. Even with the poor lighting, I could tell that it had lovely purple feathers.

However, as the creature let out a moan and continued writhe around on my floor, I realized that this might not be such a mythological creature after all. As I watched it, I could see that its wings were in an awkward position, and one of the legs was bend unnaturally to the side. Then, I saw the blood streaming from one of the wings where it had clipped my window.

I couldn't stop the sudden surge of pity for the creature. Tentatively, I walked over to face it, and I was astonished by the large, yellow eyes and the threatening, silver beak. However, when it saw me, the creature flinched away and tried to move across my floor. Because of the injuries, it didn't go far. I eyed it, debating if it would be good to touch it because there was no doubt in my mind that the beak could clip off my entire hand in one swipe.

The creature continued gasping as it struggled on my floor. It was becoming very obvious to me that this creature had gotten seriously injured when it flew through the window. I thought I might heal it, but then, I would have to touch it, and it didn't seem to like the idea of me being near it. In a gesture of peace, I held up both palms to the creature. The yellow eyes looked at me warily as I began to walk over to the creature.

When I was close, I knelt down, to the left of the creature's face and by the bloody wing. Then, I lowered my hands onto the injured wing. The first thing I realized upon touching the creature was that it was terrified of me!

Why? I didn't understand, but I knew the wing was a more pressing issue. Like I had done with Ryo, I reached for that locked part of my mind. Slowly, I found a trickle of energy, which flowed through my arms like a strange, pulsing sap. Then, I forced my strength into the creature. I searched, using the first placement of energy as tentacles to feel around the creature so I could find the injuries without my eyes.

As the initial shoots of energy pulsed through the creature, I felt her relax, and I found the most pressing wounds on her wings. So, I shot more of the energy, now flowing like a tiny, bubbling stream, into the creature. She made a squawking sound from the shock, and I felt her shock at being healed seep into my consciousness.

Then, I moved around the energy feelers again and probed deeper into her pain. However, I felt sweat break out on my brow, and I didn't know how much energy I had left to tap. The energy began to tumble around inside of me like water taking a sharper course over rocks downhill. However, I knew that, soon, I was going to reach a waterfall, and I worked as quickly as possible to send the energy into the creature's legs and other small, bloody cuts.

Then, when I felt faint, I released myself and pulled my entity back into myself and away from the creature. Finally, I physically released myself and collapsed across my floor. I was unable to move, and I was terrified. From where I lay, I was looking directly at the creature, who had begun to move. The only thing I could feel was my breathing and my heart beat.

"Gods," the creature said, and instead of a hoarse, screeching bird voice, it spoke like a woman. If I could have gasped or said something, I would have. I was paralyzed in silence.

She, for I felt certain it was a she, rolled over and drew herself up into a sitting position so she could face me. She cocked her head to one side as she examined me. "That's not what I expected."

I could see now that she had small, human like arms with tiny hands hidden by her sides, but I realized she hid them under those massive wings. Fully repaired, and even tucked behind her back, I could tell that the wings were easily several times my arm span, but they were captivating. As I looked at her, I could recognize breasts and a recognizably shaped human body under the covering of plum plumage.

"Are you okay?" she asked me and leaned down to look at me. No, I wasn't, but I hadn't even the energy to blink. She reached out her human hands towards me, but paused before she touched me. "I won't hurt you."

Well, I knew that, and after she realized I would give no response, she lifted me up and laid me on my comforter. Despite how strong and majestic she appeared, I noticed she wobbled under my weight in her arms.

Then, I was lying in my own bed, feeling like a vegetable, with the bird woman sitting beside me. As we both sat there in silence, she gazed around my room. After several moments, she looked back down at me and said, "I'm Ariel. Are you okay? Should I call someone?"

I felt like shrieking in frustration, but I couldn't. However, I felt a drop of life and blinked a couple times. Then, the drop turned into a trickle and the blink was followed by a moan. Then, I licked the inside of my mouth with my tongue. Finally, I said, in a raspy voice that sounded almost nothing like my own, "I'm fine. Give me a moment."

"That . . . that was a very . . . nice . . . thing you did," Ariel told me while I slowly felt myself gain control over my body again. I gave her a nod as I propped myself up on my elbow. "You didn't have to help me."

"You were bleeding," I replied, but I had an idea what she meant. Mending bird women wasn't the most common experience in the world. Then, I also remembered that she was bleeding, and now, there was blood on my carpet. I stared down at the dark stain and was silently thankful that Mi Sang wouldn't be home for several days.

"Would you like anything?" I asked Ariel, who just blinked her avian yellow eyes at me for a moment. When she didn't response immediately, I went over and closed the open window. I didn't want anything else to suddenly appear in my room, and then, I also pulled the blinds shut, too. As I did so, I thought Ariel laughed, but it had the sound of a bird singing.

"Did I damage your window?" she asked as I returned over and sat down beside her again. She shifted when I was near her, and I remembered the fear she felt of me when I touched her.

"No, it's fine, but . . . can I ask you something?" She nodded, and I took a breath and pushed ahead with my question. "Why are you afraid of me? It doesn't make any sense. I'm a dull school girl that couldn't hurt you."

"What you did was not dull." At this, I just shrugged, but I really wanted her to answer the question. "You might not believe it, but I think you're a powerful healer."

"Well, when I did heal you, I felt your fear of me, and I saw that you were afraid of me touching you," I noted and tried to keep Ariel on track. "Could you sense my power?"

"No, not until you actually began to use it on me," she replied as her head drooped down so that her beak rested against her chest. "It was my shame, not anything specifically about you except that . . . that you're human."

I couldn't help it and giggled. "Sorry, but humans frighten you?" I asked. Ariel waited some time, head still bent down, and she let out a long sigh.

"Only your reaction towards me," she muttered. What bothered her? I couldn't tell, so I decided to talk to her instead of ask her questions. Her answers seemed too cryptic for me to figure out at the moment.

"Well, you came to the right house. My step mother, Mi Sang, is away on business for several more days, and you can stay here. If you like my room, you can sleep in my bed, but if not, Mi Sang's bed is larger. Also, if you're hungry, I can get whatever you might want to eat." At the moment I mentioned her staying at my house, Ariel's head sprang upright again and she fixed me with her slightly unsettling stare.

"You can't mean that," she said, and I couldn't miss the astonishment in her voice.

"I do. You only have to choose the food and the bed," I replied, and I couldn't help smiling at her.

"I don't frighten _you_?" she asked.

"Startle might be the right word for the way you flew through my window. Or shocked," I told her, and she just shook her head. For a moment, silence lingered between us as I waited for her to speak again.

"Your room. It reminds me of my room," she said, and I just couldn't picture a bird girl having a room like mine. My room was very ordinary with all the ordinary things, expect for my magical books, which you would find in any other school girl's room. However, I thought her home or dwelling might be a magnificent tree house or some castle in a mountain side. Sitting on my bed beside me she looked too magnificent and mythical to be in my bed room. I shook my head, trying to clear how unreal all of this was from my mind before I stood up.

"Now, what do you want to eat?" I asked her.

"Chocolate. I haven't had that in a while. Maybe some pizza or some take out, too," she ticked off the initial list of foods she wanted. I paused, and once again, I just couldn't picture a bird girl eating chocolate or pizza. Then, again, how would she know what take out was?

"Ariel, where are you from?" I asked her, and I felt a dread at hearing the answer. Would it open a Pandora's box of information that I should never know? Somehow, I felt the answer was important, and it was the key to all the riddles.

For a while, I thought she wouldn't answer, but then, she took a long inhale again and said, "Here. Tokyo."

It was my fears realized. I didn't know how I voiced the question.

"You were a human girl?"

She hung her head again, and I felt the sharpest sympathy I have ever had for anything on this earth clutch my heart and gut. For a moment, I couldn't breath. I gasped, and I felt my vision blur. "You shouldn't cry," she begged me, but I couldn't find the strength to wipe my own eyes. Then, I heard a rustle of feathers as she got up and came over to me. I felt her tiny hands press a Kleenex into my fingers, and I slowly raised it to dab my eyes and cheeks.

"I upset you. I should've have said . . ." she began to appologize, but I waved my hand to cut her off.

"No, it's fine. Come downstairs?" I asked her and opened the door to usher her out of my room.

"What if someone sees me?"

"We'll pull the blinds," I replied. However, I went down first to keep my promise of shutting the blinds. I wanted to ask, but I knew now was not the right time. Who did this to her?

(Kento)

_Click. Click. Click._

_Bling! Powpowpowpow!_

"I win again," Cye mumbled. He threw down the controller, but I didn't look away from the blinking TV screen.

"Come on, Kento, I won _again_," Cye grumbled.

"Don't you like the change? I always kick _your_ ass," I muttered as I fiddled with the controls. I flipped through the menu and decided to start another game.

"You're not in the mood. It's not fun," Cye grumbled. This time, I gazed up at him. The greenish blue light from the TV turned Cye's pale skin an eerie color. For a second, I felt a strange fear grip my gut because Cye had the image of one of the undead. Maybe I watched too many movies, but that brief glance scared me.

"Kento? You're not even moving," Cye muttered as he began to work his controls. The game had started, and I pulled myself away from his sickly looking face.

I gazed at the screen, even when Cye beat me again and threw down the controller and left the room. I didn't know what I felt. I didn't want to think about it too hard because I thought I wouldn't like the answer I found. So, I got up and went into the kitchen to cook some pizza.

When I entered, Cye kept cleaning the counter, and his skin looked just as pale as before because it was coated with the sheen from his sweat. He looked like he was making a great effort, and I could see the muscles straining in his arms. Once again, I turned away and buried my head in the refrigerator door.

"Mind if I heat this up?" I asked as I pulled out a couple slices of leftover pizza.

"I'll do it," Cye said as he grabbed the slices from me without putting down his rag. He put them on a plate and set them in the microwave, and once again, I was forced to look at him.

The silence between us became awkward as the microwave whirred and hummed, and I was starting to feel a chill on my legs from the still open refrigerator door. We both stared at the microwave, and all I could see was Cye's back, and even though he wasn't cleaning, his muscles still looked tense.

"So . . . enjoying your night . . . here?" It was a stupid question, but I didn't want to bring up why he didn't go to the dance. I'd wondered that a lot, and I felt it was because of me that Cye stayed here. Cye said to me that my staying at home really had little to do with what he did, but I never felt that was right. Seeing him like this, I felt that little speck of guilt nudge me that had been eating at my insides for a while. Was he miserable because I was miserable? I hated to think I was the cause of Cye's crappy night, but maybe I was.

"I'm . . . okay," Cye muttered as the microwave beeped. He didn't move to open the microwave door, so I went over and got out my own pizza.

"You seem out of it." I tried to sound casual, but I didn't know if it worked. Cye didn't react, but he kept standing there, staring at the microwave, and he still held the rag in his hand.

"Maybe a touch of some illness," he said, but he sounded distant. His voice felt crisp and dry, and I didn't know what to do. I stopped chewing my bit of pizza and stared at the table cloth. I paused, and I waited. I kept staring at the table cloth, waiting for a thought to come into my head that would do Cye some good.

_Ding!_

The doorbell rang, which caused me to jump in my chair and drop the piece of pizza in my hand. It flopped on the table cloth, and by the time I had gotten up, Cye had already left the kitchen and crossed into the main entrance.

"Kayura?"

When I entered, I saw Kayura standing in the doorway and wearing a light rose colored yukata with silver and white flowers. I blinked, and I wondered why she was there, and then, I saw Mia approach the door behind her. She, too, was dressed in a yukata, but hers was white, and my eyes were drawn to the many colors of geese that were resting along the hem of her yukata, but some of the geese had begun to fly away, too. Still, I thought Mia looked somewhat plain next to Kayura, even though Mia's yukata was more ornate.

"A little bird told me the two of you were dateless," Mia said with a huge grin as she entered the house. Kayura walked in before her, and even though Mia was refined, there was just something super graceful in Kayura's movement. She didn't speak, but she nodded to Cye, then turned and let her lips slide upwards into an effortless smile. I swallowed, and I felt the blood pounding in my ears.

"Yeah, that's how it goes," I muttered, and I wanted to smack myself for sounding so dumb. Still, Kayura had that knowing, half-smile tugging at her lips, and Mia bit her lip to suppress her grin.

"Oh no," Cye muttered, "You want to take us."

"That's right. It's no fun to sit at home," Mia said as she strode into the house like she owned it. Okay, she did own it, and Cye's gaping mouth didn't stop her from tugging him towards the stairs.

"Kento," Kayura spoke, and my attention snapped back towards her, "you should come with me."

"Lad—I mean Kayura, I don't have any kimono here. My family didn't let me take them because, you know, I'm a bit . . ."

"Unorganized?" Kayura supplied with only a slight grin, which was good, because I didn't know how to explain to Kayura that I got everything my hands touched dirty or destroyed.

"I don't think I could wear the other guys' things, either," I muttered, and I didn't want to explain this was because I was fatter than they were. Thankfully, Kayura didn't press the issue. Instead, she turned and watched Mia and Cye, who had started arguing.

"I told you I'm not well," Cye moaned, and as I looked at him again, I realized he was probably right.

"You feel clammy," Mia muttered, "but are you sure some Advil won't cure it? Was it something you ate? I'd hate for you to miss the party over a little cold."

"Really, I think I'm going to be sick," Cye said with a groan, and I watched at he grabbed his stomach. I could see the sweat beading off his forehead, and I swallowed the lump in my throat to speak.

"Just let him stay, Mia. He hasn't been feeling right tonight." Cye nodded and shot me a grateful look, but there was a still a deep frown on his face. However, Mia shrugged her shoulders as she grabbed Cye by the arm.

"You want me to stay with you?" Mia asked.

"No!" Cye's shouted instantly. He stood there, gaping, as if surprised by his response. It took him a moment, in which Mia, too, looked slightly stunned, for Cye to explain. "I mean . . . I mean I don't want you to miss the party for me. I just need to lie down. Now."

"I'll take you upstairs," Mia offered as she gestured for Cye to lead the way. She watched him warily, and I think we were both miffed about Cye's behavior and afraid he'd have another outburst. However, Cye simply walked towards the kitchen without looking around at any of us or saying anything again.

After Mia had followed him, Kayura and I stood along together in the entrance way. I fidgeted with my belt loops, and then, I thought I looked stupid, and I stopped. That faint smile still played over Kayura's lips until she opened them and said, "We can go get it. Mia will not mind."

"Sure?" I asked, and I bawled my hand up in a fist to stop the fidgeting. Then, I thought my bawled fist made me look angry, so I rubbed the back of my neck. Did that look dumb, too? No, I realized that I was probably showing the sweat stains on the underarms of my white t-shirt, so I put my arm down by my side again. Still, Kayura hadn't moved, and that trace smile remained on her lips. It was taking Mia too long to put Cye to bed and tuck him in or whatever she was doing.

"Yes, I'm sure Mia won't mind. We . . . I . . . want you to go," Kayura said, and I realized how her voice always sounded a bit deeper than I thought it should be. It was funny, the way people looked, and how you always expected their voice to match their appearance. With Kayura, I thought this wasn't true. She sounded . . . older? No . . . maybe more womanly? No, none of that was exactly right.

"Kento, don't tell me you developed a case of the flu, too," Mia asked as she strode back into the entranceway.

"No, I'm fine," I mumbled, and I took the opportunity to pull my eyes away from Kayura.

"Then, why aren't you dressed?" Mia asked as she cocked her head and stared at me like a big sister. Honestly, she reminded me of Rinfi with that look, and I responded with the automatic reaction of rolling my eyes.

"Because I don't have anything to wear here," I muttered.

"Then let's go," Mia said as she waved me towards the door. "Put on some shoes. We'll hardly have anytime at the party when we get there, anyway, if we don't go with some speed. I know speed isn't your thing, Kento --"

"What does that mean?" I griped, but Mia only shrugged. "No, come on, Mia, what does that mean? I'm not slow!"

"Just come on," Mia chuckled as she ushered me outside and locked the door behind me. When we walked outside in the cool air, Kayura tilted her head to look up at the sky. I followed her gaze and noticed that the sky had only a strip of blue left on one horizon. Gray clouds, which were only a shade lighter than the night sky, drifted across it as if the blue strip was chasing them away.

"It's going to be clear tonight," Kayura commented, and I nodded absentmindedly.

"Well, that won't matter unless we get moving," Mia said as she gave me a shove to push me out of my reverie. As I went to climb in her car, I glanced back at the completely dark mansion, but I didn't look long because we were pulling away.

(Lily)

_Thirty- one, thirty-two, thirty-three . . . _

No, that couldn't be right. I gazed down at the calendar and flipped the pages back again. Then, I began counting again.

_One, two, three, four, five . . ._

No, it had been almost three months.

_Six, seven, eight, nine, ten . . ._

My underpants were dry again today. And I had thrown up again this morning.

_Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen . . ._

I thought I might be sick. At this point, I considered the fact that I really did have a disease. I had never wanted to bleed so much in my life.

_Eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three . . ._

I reached for the phone before I stopped myself. I ground my teeth into my lower lip instead of touching the phone. Everyone was away. Besides, did I expect Nilla to come and count for me? Well, I would have appreciated it because I couldn't believe that so many days had lapsed.

_Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine . . ._

I couldn't believe I'd let so much time go! I didn't want to count before, but I couldn't avoid it now. I should have asked Nilla to help me instead of putting this out of thought and out of mind.

_Thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four . . ._

I let the calendar slide out of my shaking hands. I sat on the edge of my bed, dressed only in my white tank top and favorite baby blue underwear because I hadn't found the energy to put my pants back on after going the bathroom. This was the day. Thirty-four was the day I told myself I would check. I never wanted my cycle, but now, I invited the blood to come to my body. Because if it didn't . . .

I didn't know what to do then.

Disgrace and pregnancy meant the same thing to me. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. I thought I was a virgin. I didn't even remember doing anything! No . . . I didn't remember ever sleeping with a guy. Had I been in that position . . . three months ago? No, I couldn't remember it. After school let out, I had spent my time with Nilla. Akio and Tomo had been there sometimes, too, but they would never hurt me. I couldn't recall being with anyone that could have impregnated me.

"Maybe it's something entirely different," I said out loud to reassure myself. Besides, I still had to pee on the stick.

The stick! I hadn't tested myself yet, but I remembered all the times I found myself sick in the past months. Was I moody? Yes, but I usually didn't throw up because of it. I remembered an unusual amount of illness, but I tended to have a weak stomach. And, above all, I couldn't remember doing anything with a man. I was probably closer to a virgin than anyone of my friends!

I stood, put on my jeans, a T-shirt, and a sweatshirt, before grabbing my purse and leaving the house. My parents went away for the weekend, and they had no reason not to trust me. Also, the party was this weekend, so I hope they figured that my friends and I all had other places to be instead of my house. Anyway, I usually went over to Nilla's house, but, all the same, I was glad my parents were gone. Now, I wouldn't have to worry about smuggling my drug store purchase into the house.

I stopped and waited for a bus to come along a block away from my house. I didn't want to go to someplace close because someone might recognize me. I didn't want anyone who knew me to see me buy my testers. I rubbed my sweaty palms on the inside of my sweatshirt pouch as the bus pulled up. With a smile, I handed the driver my money. Nothing was wrong. Why shouldn't I smile?

As I sat in the seat, watching the evening scenes of Tokyo swirl by the window, I thought of the fun I could be having. I could be with all my friends, talking, dancing, and enjoying their company, but I was sitting on this bus. I was going to test myself – a virgin! – to see if I was pregnant. I thought of the mansion with its gardens . . . I thought of Nilla, hanging around Rowen. Naturally, they would look great together – a very exotic, sharp tongued couple. As for Akio, I giggled despite myself at the thought of him trailing around after tall, imposing Zera. Zera! What a strange girl!

Zera, of course, would be paired with Nakeisha, who would be the haughty escort of Date Seiji. Date Seiji, now, he was a lovely man, and Nakeisha would throw away a perfectly good evening with him to be oh-so-better than everyone else. Was she above the rest of us? No, I didn't think so, but she acted as if she were higher than mortals. Did she think that way? I wasn't sure.

Then, there would be Lee and Tomo, who would wander away together with their dates. They would have a fun time, nonetheless. Lee loved a party. He would have made me feel better when someone put an insult to me. I wouldn't know what to say, and Lee would be there, and I would feel protected by him. And then, Tomo and Lee would help me forget and laugh everything away. Being around them, I didn't feel dumb or inferior. I was Lily, the little sister, to them.

There would be Ryo. He would be with Kaede. Even though I tried, I couldn't picture them together. Yes, maybe I could. She, as usual, would look fantastic. Ryo, as usual, would stand there in whatever he was wearing. They would speak, but I couldn't imagine what they would say. Then, they would dance, but I couldn't imagine how. In the end, they would leave, but I didn't know in what mood they would go. More than anything, I wish I could've seen the two of them together.

The bus stopped blocks away from my house. I stood up and walked onto the street, which was illuminated by street lamps and building signs now that the night had descended on Tokyo. Above, the moon peaked over the horizon. I sighed and thought of how lovely the gardens would look under moonlight.

I forced myself to turn and walk down the street until I came to a store where I thought they might sell the testers. Wedged between two more respectable looking stores, I went into the little convenience store and went to the back, where I thought they would keep the dirtier, sex related items. Standing before a shelf with condoms and pregnancy testers, a shiver shot down my spine. What was I doing?

I grabbed a buddle of the testers without counting them. I knew there were a lot. I wanted to be safe and know a hundred percent: yes or no. I would need more than one for my mind to rest easy.

As I bought them – ten total when she rang them up – I felt a sick wave of shame pass through my body. I was innocent. Why was I doing this? For an instant, I almost threw them in the trash as I walked outside the door. But . . . no. I needed to know.

As I crept towards the bus stop, I kept my purchase pressed closely to my body. As each person walked by, my paranoia increased. Where they looking at me? Could they see my shame? What shame did I have? Could they see what I was doing? If they could, would they whisper about the stupid, little slut who was pregnant?

As I crept onto the bus, I could hardly put a decent smile on my lips. I sat, close to the window again, and hid my bag between me and the side of the bus. As I put my face against the glass, I stared away from the other people sitting around me on the bus. I had never felt so self-conscious. I felt naked. I checked to make sure I had remembered to put on my pants and shirt because I felt like I was still sitting in my underwear.

For comfort, I gripped the accursed purchase. Oddly, it made me feel good to know it was real. If I had shame, it was real. Everything felt almost like a dream that I couldn't have imagined a short time ago. At the end of the last school year, I was a little school girl. I was happy, meeting new boys, and enjoying the company of old friends when I missed my first period. Then, I had felt ill, but I attributed to my weak stomach and what happened at school with Cye.

Cye. What was he doing? He had never done anything to me. No, I hadn't known him long enough.

Then, I missed period number two. Well, I became concerned, but what did I have to worry about? I could just have missed a couple periods. When I realized I was going on my third months without a period, I thought, 'Give it one more time. If there's no third one when the calendar says there should be, then, check.'

There had been no third period. What _was_ I doing? I was checking.

As the bus stopped, I got off and walked a couple blocks to my house. From a distance, the place looked dark, and a sickening dread washed over me as I viewed my house. I need to go back inside, but I knew, then, I would have to check. However, I found my way easily to the house because the moonlight now bathed everything in an eerie, pale glow.

I unlocked the door and walked up to the bathroom. I stripped down to my tank top and underwear again. Then, I stood over the toilet and peed. The liquid flowed down onto the first stick. I removed it, and then, I immediately drank more water while I waited for it to change. I went to look at it, but decided, at the last moment, that I wanted to pee on all ten of them before looking at any of the sticks.

So, I kept drinking and kept peeing. Then, I hide each stick from my view. After I stuffed the tenth wrapper back in the bag, which I planned to throw away far from my house, I walked back into my bedroom. I had gone and placed each strip on my desk, but I closed my eyes every time I came near my desk. Now, I stepped over all ten sticks and opened my eyes to see what they read.

Positive.

Positive.

Positive.

Positive.

Positive.

Positive.

Positive.

Positive.

Positive.

Positive.

I crumpled onto the floor. There, I cried for myself. In all my tears, I wondered how. _How_? How was I pregnant? I never had sex! You had to have sex to get pregnant! How?

What would happen how? My family would disown me! I would bring shame and disgrace to my family. I would ruin the family name. I would be the little slut who had a child out of wedlock.

Who was the father? I gasped, realizing I had no idea! It would be any man in Tokyo! Who was he? What was he doing now? Did he remember me, or did he forget having sex like I did? Was he a bad person? Was he a good person who had a bad moment? What happened between us? Would my child ever see him?

My child. My baby. I would have a child – my child.

(Cye)

The covers were sticking to my skin. I felt my heart throbbing in my skull as I lay in the dark. My muscles were too tense to relax, but for a moment, I lay in my bed. How did I get here? I wasn't ready for this in the least.

Protective barriers . . . my armor . . . would it work? It had to work. I felt a tingling on the back of my arms and legs. I sat up, and I was aware of how heavy my breath sounded when I inhaled and exhaled. I tried to breathe calmly, but now my arms and legs had begun to tingle, and I climbed out of bed.

Mechanically, as if in one of my nightmares, I stuffed pillows under my sheets and hoped the guys wouldn't notice. Thankfully, Kento had left the house, and now, I could do this without the embarrassment of anyone being around. I left my room, and I flicked off the light, and I proceeded to turn off all the lights in the house before exiting through the side door.

Once outside, I felt my pulse quicken, but there were still a lot of clouds in the sky, but I could feel the effect of the full moon, which had to be mostly risen by now, drawing my blood into a frenzy. Now, my chest and neck were tingling, and my arms and legs had begun to ache and burn.

I could run. Would it do any good? If I ran, would it happen quicker? I thought it would. I was sweating like I had been fighting. My chest was aching, and my breathing had become shallow and unsteady, but I was close to my spot. I took off my flip flops and pulled off my shirt while walking.

It felt like needles were going through my arms and legs now. My heart pulsed through my brain. In my mind, I saw the eyes. Those yellow eyes were burning at me. Then, I realized I was looking at my own face.

I ran. As I ran, I stripped off my gym shorts. I threw them away with the shirt and flip flops. I kept running. The night had become a blur to me. All I saw were the eyes.

I bent over and fell down because my blood had caught fire. I heard screams, and I realized they were mine. God, they sounded horrible, like I was being tortured.

And I was.

The world faded in and out. I saw the eyes.

_I saw two wolves on the ground. They were attacking each other. I thought it was horrible how they were going after each other. Why was I watching them? When the one would bite, I felt a twinge of pressure . . . _

_I was soaked. The wolves had drug each other out into the lake . . . _

_The one wolf had won. But there was another wolf. It was as darker than all the shadows, like the first wolf. They began to fight. I felt a pain in my shoulder . . . _

_The brown wolf had won again. Now that the moon had come out from behind the clouds, I could see him clearly. He was cut all over. There was blood on his mouth. My mouth was wet, too, and I wiped it on the back of my hand . . . _

_The eyes were there again. This time, I recognized them as the eyes. They belonged to a woman. I could only see her eyes. I charged at her, but I felt weak. I screamed at her, but she only laughed. The wolf howled at her, too . . ._

(Kayura)

The full moon hung overhead, swollen and pregnant with light. I gazed up at it while I walked between Mia and Kento. I lowered my gaze back to earth to stare at Kento, who had cleaned up fairly well with his sister, Rinfi, and Mia's help. In black _hakama,_ with a sand colored _haori_ and brown _obi_, Kento had taken on a more refined appearance. Looking formal put me at ease again, and being away from Western dress had helped me regain a sense of normalcy that I had lost in the mortal world.

I never expected that to happen to me. I missed the formal decorations and clothing that I had become accustomed to throughout my life. As I intermixed in this world, I had begun to realize my age and my time. I felt like I was a leaf in a stream that had gotten left behind and hadn't joined the other debris that flowed obliviously on their way.

What a fate, but the tug on my arm brought me back into the quick flowing mortal world. "Yes?" I asked Kento, who was the one that had tugged my arm.

"Look at the house," he said and pointed upwards. I gazed over at the sparkling mansion, and although it, too, was designed in western fashion, I thought I had the resemblance of an old magnificent palace with the multitude of glittering windows. When we passed through the gates, I breathed in the fragrant air of the gardens, which were lit with a variety of lanterns.

"I like these gardens," I told Kento, who nodded vigorously in agreement. As we continued walking, someone called Mia's name. I looked up and studied the group of people waving to Mia, and I realized I didn't know them. I studied Kento's reaction, and I realized he was just as confused as who they were as I was.

"Hi!" Mia called back, and then, she turned to us and said, "I'm going to go over and see my friends from school. If I don't find you, meet me at the gate in three hours."

With that, Mia waved farewell and strode over to the group of merry people who greeted her with laughter. When Mia left, I felt the absence of her presence, and I was keenly aware that I was standing side by side with only Kento now. On the garden path leading towards the house, we stood basically by ourselves, but I didn't look back at Kento. Instead, I fixed my eyes on the house, and I heard the noise flowing from within it throbbing through the night air with the sound of the insects.

"Umm . . . should we go in?" Kento asked me, and I absently nodded. He started to walk, and I kept pace with him.

After a while of silence between us, I permitted myself to look over at Kento, who stared steadily ahead. "Feel glad that you are here?"

"I guess so," Kento replied, and he looked down at me. He gave me a crooked smile as one side of his mouth tugged upwards before the other. "I was surprised you wanted to come."

"Actually, the dress here makes me feel more normal," I said, and Kento cocked an eyebrow.

"Really? I feel ridiculous." Now, I gave him a crooked smile.

"Let's go inside, okay?" Kento asked as he grabbed my elbow and steered me towards the door.

"You do not like the moonlight?" I commented as I craned my neck upwards to see the swollen moon.

Kento only shrugged. "I just think everyone else might be inside." I turned my head back towards earth and rested my one hand on Kento's elbow. Soon, we passed through the doors, which served as a portal into another world. Instead of the sounds of the night with the hum of voices, the interior of the house throbbed with noise, and a loud base sound came from somewhere else in the house.

Kento said some things, but I couldn't hear him, so I kept my hand on his arm as he led me deeper into the house. Soon, the booming noise vibrated my chest, and we entered a room where people were dancing and rubbing against each other.

For a moment, I was confused, but I knew this was modern culture. Did Kento want me to dance like those people? I didn't think I could, and I really didn't care to do so.

"Let's go!" I screamed at Kento, who gave me a confused look. I repeated myself. "Let's GO! It is so loud in here!"

"OH!" Kento shouted and nodded to assure he had heard what I said. However, then, the pounding base stopped, and a softer song began to play. Now, people were coupling up, and several people left the dance floor and migrated out of the room.

He didn't say it, but Kento was looking at me expectantly now that the loud music had stopped. There was this wistful, almost anxious look in his eyes, and I knew he wanted me to couple up with him, too, so that we could dance together. I swallowed a knot forming in my throat, but it didn't go down completely. Could I do this? Something felt so awkward about dancing with Kento, and the crowd sent a tremble down my spine into my gut.

"Kayura?" Kento asked, and I help up my hand. As if it were natural, Kento walked me out onto the dance floor, and we swayed to the beat. I wasn't sure I liked the music, but Kento seemed to be enjoying it.

As we swayed together, I put my head against his shoulder. What had I been thinking? Now, I knew that something had grown between us, but did I want anything more than friendship between us? I couldn't decided, and it unnerved me to realize that I had brought about this courtship. It was unlikely, and I guess it seemed harmless until the moment when Kento asked me to dance. Now, I felt a nervous tingle inside of me, and there was almost something foreboding about the way we moved in unison to the strange melody.

After the song ended, I stayed with Kento, even though my insides squirmed to pull away. The music began again, throbbing throughout my body, but now, instead of repulsive, it was intoxicating. We didn't rub against each other, but we stayed in the same position and danced and bobbed to the music. Now, the music was a companion that masked the silence between us. Instead of speaking, I let my presence and my clinging hands say what needed to be said.

(Ryo)

It was late, and I had my arm looped around Kaede's waist as we sauntered down the garden path. The crowd was streaming around us, but we were a rock in a rushing river, and nothing moved us. Everything else was fuzzy around the edges and blurred in the middle, and I felt like I was looking at everything but Kaede through an unfocused lens.

Against our will, we were pulled down the walk towards the gate with the crowd. The evening swam by in a blur, but people had begun to leave, and it seemed natural to leave, too. As we took the garden path away from the mansion, I felt the presence of her body, wrapped in my right arm, and it seemed painful to let her go, but I removed my arm from her waist when we reached the gate.

She took my arm and clasped it in hers, and we remained linked arm in arm. I looked over at her, and I didn't know which one of us was gripping the other harder. The sparkles in her eyes caught fire and erupted in flames that told me not to leave. When we passed through the gate, I stayed arm in arm with her, and I let her lead me away from the mansion.

As we continued to walk, the crowd thinned, and soon, we were in an almost quiet street. I didn't remember how long we had walked, but I had a vague idea of where we were going to end up.

When I looked at her, I realized the darkness and the moonlight lent her a different type of beauty. Instead of the formal, pristine lady in the garden, Kaede had been transformed into this seductress of the night, and the pale moonbeams cast an ethereal appearance about her. I liked the way the light shimmered off her dark hair, which would have blended with the night itself, and I felt her eyes were burning embers in her dark eyes.

Soon, she took me to what I thought must be her house. We didn't say a word to each other, but I allowed her to lead me inside. When we got in, the house was silent. The first thing she said to me was, "Help me undress. I need to get this off."

I took off the formal garments, one layer at a time, and Kaede took her time in putting them in order and laying them out so they wouldn't wrinkle. Then, she helped me undress, and we did all this without a word. However, when we were done, she once again took me by the arm and led me back to her bedroom.

A/N: July 2007

I did some foreshadowing in this chapter, but we'll let that rest for now. I can't get my websites to post in this chapter, but I used several websites for kimono patterns, motifs, colors, and the general wearing and styling of a kimono. If you want those, I have them. Also, I used _Memoirs of a Geisha_, by Arthur Goldman, to help with the description of geisha make-up.


	21. Part Two: Dreams and Reality

**Ronin Tomorrow**

**Part Two:**

**Dreams and Reality**

"Between the idea  
And the reality  
Between the motion  
And the act  
Falls the Shadow"

"The Hollow Men" by T.S. Elliot

**Dreams**

(Zera)

It was dark. The air swam with the darkness, and it swirled around my body. Then, in the midst of the darkness, I laughed. I was wearing my yukata still, and I thought I had taken it off.

There was a voice in the darkness. A sound – like a rushing wind – but I thought I heard someone calling my name, too. I looked down at my yukata, and I could see the images upon it begin to move. I felt frozen in shock. I wouldn't scream, but now something of real terror began to seize me.

The darkness continued to swirl around me, but I didn't move. Whose voice called to me – friend or foe? I could not tell. As I stood there, I saw the yukata change from creamy white to a crimson red color, and tried to check myself to see if I was bleeding. My clothes were turning the color of blood.

I gasped, but the wolves now moved off my yukata, while it continued to absorb the crimson color stains. I struggled in fear, trying to remove the yukata, but the wolves were surrounding me. I heard a noise – that voice in the wind again – whispering something to me. Or was it shouting?

I was too distracted to hear. I yanked at the obi, which bound me tightly, holding me like a boa constrictor. I refused to scream, but I refused to listen to the screeching in the darkness. I thought I might be able to hear it, but I felt a terror overwhelming me.

I broke away and sat up in my bed.

I sat upright, completely frozen in the normal darkness of night in the city. The streetlights could be seen from the window, and their light illuminated patches of the floor and of my bed spread through the curtains. Then, there was also the light on in the bathroom, which came under the door. Nakeisha's alarm clock glowed green beside her bed, and my little portable clock had no lights. I hated the lights of the alarm clock because I liked to sleep in absolute darkness, but the dream had been like falling into an abyss.

A dream? It seemed so much greater than just some silly dream about being alone in the dark. Why would my subconscious produce that particular nasty nightmare? I felt a shiver creep down my spine, and I thought about waking Nakeisha.

No, she was sleeping with head tucked under her blankets. I stared at the lump on her bed, and I told myself I was a big girl. I didn't need to wake my friend in order to blabber to her about my silly nightmare. She would laugh, too, because I had never been afraid of the dark.

What did the voice say?

Why did I want to know? I had rejected it in the darkness, but now, in the safer arena of my bedroom, I wanted to hear what that voice wanted to tell me. Was it a figment of my imagination? No, I couldn't believe that the voice came from me. I had a feeling it wasn't part of me, but maybe it was only one of those things, in dreams, that we can't quite reach.

(Cale)

My face lay on something damp. My one cheek was pressed against the cool, wet surface, and it calmed the throbbing in my head. I kept my eyes closed, and the aching of my body made me keep still long enough for me to realize the simple fact that I was not supposed to be where I was.

I tired not to move, and I tried to recall everything that happened. I wanted to see where I was, but I kept my eyes closed and forced myself to remain still until my head cleared. The dampness of what I thought was stone made me shiver. My entire body was chilled and wet, and then, I realized this was what was wrong.

I did not wear my armor.

I kept still, even when I wanted to jump up and look around. I remembered fighting in the fog, and I knew it was bad when I could not even see through it. Yes, I had been bad, and Sekhmet had realized they, whoever they were, tried to take our armors. Sekhmet and Dais had thrown their armors away, but I had kept mine until the last moment. It seemed wrong to stop fighting.

And now, I knew I was captured. I could not feel any chains, but I felt weak. They probably did not need any chains to keep me at this point. Damn my body and its frailty. I opened my eyes now because I wanted to know where I was. If they had me, I wanted to know where.

However, all I saw was the back of Sekhmet's head. He was still, and I could not tell if he was awake or not. I thought he was alive, but I could not see beyond his head. I wondered if there was anybody watching me. If so, they might do something if I moved. If not, I wanted to look around and find Dais.

I hated to lay there, completely still, but I listened for any noise. The first thing I heard was Sekhemet's breathing, and then, I realized there was someone breathing on the other side of me, too. I thought this was probably Dais, but I could not hear anything else.

It would have to be quick, I realized. If I was being watched, I wanted to look around quickly before they came for me. When they found I was awake, I was not sure what would happen. The presence at the dojo had frightened me. I could not feel that entity now, but if they were around, I thought they would probably cause me some pain.

I sat up in one quick movement, or as quickly as I could. The blood rushed from my head, and the world spun for a moment, but my vision cleared. We were in a cave, and it was very dark. I could hardly see Sekhmet and Dais lying beside me.

Then there was a laugh. It was not the powerful presence, but it was the other woman.

Kayura. It was Kayura.

She struck me, and I saw the twin jitte shimmer in the dim light as I was slammed down to the cave floor. She laughed again while color bursts exploded before my eyes in the darkness. Her laugh, though, was like when she was in the Dynasty. It had regained that cold, metallic ring. Had the other entity captured her and brainwashed her again?

What powerful thing could brainwash the Ancient's Heir?

She struck me again. I felt the world spin away from me as I slipped into the darkness.

(Ryo)

"Kaede?"

I rolled over and there was no one beside me. I groped around in the room, which was still completely dark. There was no light in the room, yet we had managed just fine. I saw the red numbers on the clock that red five o' six. I sat up, wondering when I had fallen asleep. In one of our lulls, I guess I had gone to sleep.

I stood up, and then, I grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around myself. "Kaede?" She wasn't in the room, as far as I could tell, so I stepped outside into the hallway.

I heard the sound of a running shower, and I made my way through the dark towards the noise. It wasn't a very long walk to the bathroom door. I knocked on the door and heard, "Ryo?"

"Want me to come in?"

"Hmmmm, while that's a great idea, you might want to cover yourself," she said, but her voice had this strange muffled quality because of the running water.

"I have a sheet on," I added, "but I thought you might have wanted something more exposed."

She chuckled, and I thought her laughter sounded like water on rocks, but that could have been the illusion of the shower, too. "No, Ryo, what I meant was to call someone and make a story. Your house mates might look for you if you spend more time here."

"Oh, I get it," I told her as I went into the next room to look for a phone. I picked it up, and I debated whom to call. No, I didn't want to call any of the guys. I didn't want to lie to them, but I really didn't think it would be the best idea to tell them what I really did last night and this morning. Yeah, I could see that conversation. Rowen, I slept with that girl you hate, and Kento, I shagged your best friend.

I didn't think so. I dialed Tomo's number, and the phone rang several times before it was picked up.

"Hello?" Akio asked with a groggy voice.

"It's Ryo."

"No, it's five in the morning," Akio muttered. "What's happening?"

"I spent the night at your house, okay? That's what happened," I told him. Akio moaned on the other end of the line.

"Lee did, too, but Tomo and him aren't here, either" Akio acidly noted. "Sure, Ryo, you stayed here. Hope you had a good time. Lee and my brother would be jealous."

"Yeah," I commented. I had lived their dream tonight. I couldn't deny it had been fantastic. I chuckled, and Akio sighed at the other end of the line.

"See you later," Akio muttered, "bye."

He hung up, and then, I hung up. I ambled my way back to the bathroom door, and this time, I opened it and came into the steamy room. The water was still pouring from the nozzle, and she asked, "Is it good?"

"It's a little after five, and we've got some time," I added as I let the sheet fall to the floor. I pulled back the glass door to the shower and stepped inside. Kaede only giggled before she kissed me again.

(Kayura)

The air carried the scent of fresh rain. It cleansed my mind, and I let it lead me effortlessly along. Where was I going? I wasn't sure, but I knew I was meant to be there, and something seemed inviting in the smell of the environmnet. I was so transfixed on the peace I felt that I didn't notice how alive and green everything was for a time.

The path sloped down, and I followed it. I was dressed simply in a brown tunic tied at the waist with golden thread. In my right hand, I held the staff, and the soft clinking of the rings against each other gave me great peace. It had been sometime since I'd know such serenity, and as I wandered through the huts where women cooked and children played, I knew I had arrived in a place I could call home.

"Kayura," a woman called to me. "Come to the cave."

The cave. A shiver passed down my spine. I shook my head, and I went to tell her no, but I was pushed through the crowd. She held my hand, yet she pulled me along.

"But you don't understand," I told her, "I do not want to go!"

But I was there already, and it didn't matter how anxious I had been because nothing compared to how my stomach dropped out from under me. The land in front of the cave formed a platform before the entrance of dirt with nothing growing on it. That's what disturbed me. In this valley, filled with such luscious plants, this one patch of earth grew nothing.

"You must go in."

I turned, and the Ancient stood there, but he didn't have the staff. I did.

"You are my heir. It is your destiny."

"But . . ." I stammered, but I had nothing to say. I stared at the Ancient, and I wanted to ask him why. I couldn't tell him how I feared the eyes, lurking just beyond the cave entrance. Then, I looked towards the cave again.

The eyes were there. They were dark, as if their depths stretched to the beginning of the worlds. In that darkness, something simmered and burned, and I felt like a small child again as I looked into those eyes. They told me they knew me. They knew everything about me.

The vision broke, and I woke up in my bed. My pulse was racing, and I flung myself out of the bed and stood shivering in my pajamas. It was early yet, and the sky had taken on that misty gray color before the sun peaked over the horizon and illuminated the world like one great lamp.

Not even the sun could chase away the eyes. I had seen the eyes when I was little at the cave entrance. When I was taken to the Dynasty, I had seen them in dreams, too. I had been given things to banish the nightmares, but the eyes returned, usually just before I woke. I didn't remember who owned the eyes, but I only saw those eyes boring holes into my soul.

And now, I had seen the eyes again, but this dream had been different. This time, I had an answer. _'You must go in,'_ the Ancient told me. He had sentenced me, his heir, to face the place that had, through all my long life, remained my greatest fear and horror.

I moved, though, and dressed myself in one of my tunics. To go into the valley of my people, I felt mortal dress was inappropriate, so I tied a silver cord around the waist of my royal blue tunic. I combed my hair and slinked into the bathroom to brush my teeth and go the bathroom before creeping down into the kitchen.

Still remaining quiet, I grabbed one of the guy's bags and put food and bottled beverages into it. Then, I went to leave, but before I did, I went and tore a piece of paper from one of the scribble pads that the guys kept around. Hastily I wrote, 'Need to do something important. Look for me if not back by sunrise in two days. Kayura.'

If things went bad, at least I had my back covered. However, I couldn't bring myself to tell them to come to the valley of the Ancient's people. I felt, in my gut, that I needed to do this alone. Besides, I had never been hurt around the cave. But of course, I had never gone into the cave.

I quietly left the house, and I looked down towards the lake. The mist was already rising from the surface, and I wanted to be there. I wanted to walk those shores at dawn instead of turning my path towards the darkness of the caves.

I heard a rustle, and I turned towards the forest. From the trees emerged Ryo's tiger, and I realized I hadn't seen that animal since the day I came here. It made sense that they would have let it go back into the wilderness to be free and happy, but here it was, coming towards me. It seemed to have waited for me, and it made me wonder if the tiger knew my fear. It wasn't impossible, of course, since this creature was clearly magical.

It stopped by my legs and purred, which made me smile. I scratched the back of his head, and as I walked away from the house, the tiger followed by my side.

(N'deki)

It was dark, and this time, I knew the situation was more ominous. I was back, in that dream, and I felt like I was carrying something heavy, except, this time, it felt worse. I think I was tired and sore, but from what, I had no idea.

It was only a clip again, and I didn't understand what was happening, but I was heading somewhere, and I was going there quickly. It had to be an emergency. I had no idea what was happening or why, but the land was dark, and I thought I might be in some type of palace. Actually, it looked like I raced through the Imperial Palace, from all the pictures I'd seen of that famous place. That couldn't be right, could it?

It was too bizarre, and I was moving abnormally fast. My head kept turning, but I couldn't control my movements again. I felt the fear building in my stomach, but I fought it back.

Then I saw what I raced towards, and I screamed to stop. Except I couldn't scream, and this person didn't stop. They raced towards the giant standing in the courtyard of the palace when all I wanted to do was turn tail and go at the speed of light in the opposite direction.

I was getting closer. I knew this person wouldn't stop. There was that final distance, and if I could have felt my heart beat in panic, I would have. This giant proved much more horrible up close. Why did this person go towards this monster?

He landed beside a person in red armor. Another person in this dream, and when he spoke, I felt I knew him, but my mind was slow and blurred from the fear.

"Anubis?"

"I must complete the Ancient One's Prophecy." It was a man that spoke, but I still felt it was happening to me, N'deki, some stupid little school girl. It wasn't so, but I knew, in the strange illogicalness of it all, that this was most definitely happening to me.

"The Ancient's power, it's coming from you, isn't it?"

What? Who was this? What were they talking about? Why were they even talking when this monster was going to kill them! The Ancient wasn't anyone I knew. This was just getting worse! I felt myself begin to really panic. That giant looked ready to squash us! Oh, dear gods, I didn't want to die!

I leapt into the air, and the guy in the red armor did the same. Why did they want to fight this demon so badly? I wanted to run! Why didn't they run away? Didn't they know it was the end? I was panicking! Why couldn't they hear me scream!

"Join me, Wildfire!"

Why? Why did these people want to die so badly? Because no matter what happened, I knew they were going to die. I was going to die!

"Flare up now!"

"Quake with fear!"

What happened? My body, this person's body, shook with power! It pulsed and flowed, but I couldn't control it! And the monster stopped! For a moment, we had halted his lunge towards us! Yet, I knew it wasn't long. I felt myself anxious, awaiting the moment when this giant would reach for me. He would crush me!

Why was I here? I didn't want to be here! This giant was horrible!

And then, he snapped the chains this person put around his hand. His fingers grabbed them, but I still held the weapon! I was yanked off the ground! No!

I shrieked. I was upside down! I kept screaming, but this person was being dangled! I was going to die! The terror of dying with no control!

No! I felt my body vibrate. No!

"No! _Nonononono_!"

I heard my voice, and it felt amazing!

"No! No! _Nononono_!"

I was in hysterics, but I needed it. I couldn't stop. I was begging for my life.

"N'deki! N'deki, calm down!" Ariel threw her scrawny arms around me, but I was still shouting. Then, as she pulled me close to her, and I realized I was crying, too. Gods, I was terrified.

"N'deki, you fell asleep watching TV. We're in you're living room. It's a dream. Please, trust me, it's a dream." Ariel's voice soothed me, and I threw my arms around her and let my screaming dissolve in sobs. I leaned against her, and I realized she was correct. I had fallen asleep on my couch, and the blanket that I had lain over myself was still over my legs. I hadn't moved. I wasn't dangling in the hands of some giant.

"It was a nightmare," Ariel muttered in my ear. I nodded dumbly and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand.

"It was so real," I whispered. "I was going to die."

"You're alive," Ariel murmured as she removed me from her embrace. Her golden, yet intelligent, avian eyes looked into my own hazel eyes. I felt her concern, but more than that, I realized she sympathized with me.

"You lived a nightmare, didn't you?" I asked as I picked up the edge of my blanket to wipe the tears from my face.

"Yes," she said, and her voice was barely audible. "But that's over. We're both here and okay."

"Yes, you're right," I muttered, but admitting that didn't take away the horror of that dream. It scarred my soul, and all I wanted it to do was to be gone. I rubbed my eyes, and I began to feel weary as the adrenaline from my panic left my system.

"N'deki, do you mind if I ask you something?" Ariel prodded. I nodded, and I was afraid it would be about that nightmare. "Have you ever considered you might have an abnormal amount of power?"

"Not really, but I guess I do. I don't talk about it, so I guess that's my denial." I left out the roundabout way I had been coerced into telling Ryo about my healing skills. I did fix his leg, but I had tended to ignore that, too, but again, that wasn't normal, either.

"You have a strange dream and heal people," Ariel pointed out as she continued to kneel down in front of me to maintain eye level. "N'deki, that dream didn't involve me, did it?"

"Oh no," I reassured her quickly, "you weren't involved. Also, I've had more than this dream. This one was the most powerful, though. It was also the most terrifying. There was actual conversation in this dream."

"Who did you talk to?" Ariel asks.

"It wasn't me, per say," I began to explain, "In these dreams, I am living through someone else. It's not me that's talking or acting. I'm just seeing and feeling the world through some man's eyes, but it seems so real. I feel like it is happening to me. Do you think I'm channeling someone's spirit?"

"It might not be beyond you," Ariel said with a shrug. "I don't have supernatural powers. I have no idea what they entail. All I know is that you have them."

"Yeah, and they're making me tired," I mumbled as I rose off the couch. Ariel stood up, too, and she went over and clicked the TV off. "You can have my bed since you liked my room so much."

"Where will you sleep? I don't want to have to trip over things if you wake up screaming again," Ariel added as I opened the door to my room.

"I'll sleep on the floor, then," I said as I went into my closet to dig out my sleeping bag. "I won't be uncomfortable. I sleep in that bed every night."

Ariel looked like she was going to protest, but she didn't. Instead, she climbed into the bed and pulled the covers up to where her wings connected to her back. Once again, I thought how abnormal it was for this harpy girl to be sleeping in my bed, but I was too drained to ponder on that irony. Instead, I crawled into my sleeping bag and waited for the lights to be turned off.

Between waking and sleeping, I thought about what Ariel had said. I did have powers, but I guess it took someone else telling me I was powerful for me to really under the fullness of my strength. Was I really _that_ strong?

More importantly, what spirit was I channeling? And more important than who I was channeling was how to get rid of that person. I didn't want to keep having these dreams, and if I could break this cycle, I would. If I had to fulfill the spirit's wishes, I didn't know if I could do it. Who would do what I saw in my dreams?

Then, I thought of Ariel again. What happened to Ariel seemed abnormal. How did a girl become a harpy? Yes, there were things I didn't know, and I felt a suspicion that everything might be tied together. _What if it was_? What would I find?

And I slid into the dream world. I didn't realize it for a moment, but when I felt that weight, I knew I was living in that dream again.

Once again, I was in that palace. I groaned internally, and I felt exhausted. I was exhausted. What was I doing? No, what was this person doing? This man was at his end, I could tell. I could feel the weight and the exhaustion of his body.

It was over. Was I to die now? Or was it later? I didn't know. All I knew was that this wasn't over yet. This man had something else to do, and I was to watch it. I had no choice.

There was a woman standing in front of me. I was pulsing with power, and it would kill me. Then, this woman was bound up in chains. I had seen this before, but it was different, now, and I couldn't understand why. I just knew.

"What do you think you're doing?" the woman screeched at me as I leapt up to meet her. I didn't understand, but I let I happen. I didn't know what was happening, but I felt weak, so I meekly protested not to let this end badly for me.

"Now you'll leave her or die!" The man commanded this woman, and only then did I realize she was possessed. How dreadful, I thought. I felt like I was possessed, but I wasn't, was I? I knew I was seeing this from another time and place, so I wasn't possessed or possessing, but still, how dreadful. I felt sorry for her.

"Curse you, Anubis!" The demon inside the girl screamed. I could almost see him! Maybe that was a good thing. For some reason, my fear had almost deserted me, now. I felt apathetic to this scene, yet I found myself caring, but it wasn't about my life. I cared what happened to this woman because she seemed more real to me than any of the other people in these dreams.

Now, I felt the weight lift from me. It went to the women, and I watched as the demon inside her screamed and shrieked. This weight on me, then, I realized what it was. I was wearing samurai armor, and I wondered how I hadn't noticed it before this moment. Was I that slow in these dreams?

I watched, dumbfounded, as the demon left this woman. She put on the armor that had been on me. I was glad that weight was gone. Then, my mouth opened and this man screamed, "Fight him, Kayura!"

I sat up and opened my eyes. I felt like this Kayura, this man, and this dream were only a scratch away from being in front of my eyes now. If I reached out, I felt I could go back into that vision again. It all seemed real. I knew it was. It was all real, and I was only a hand reach away from taking hold of it.

The light was beginning to filter through my room, and the sun had risen. I looked around, and I felt she was close. Did she need me?

"Kayura," I whispered into the stillness of the dawn, "Listen to your heart and understand."

A/N: July 2007: Yeah! New part! Thank you, all reviewers, because you've helped me push through the previous part one and turn it into a more polished story. However, if I had to publish this, I would definately change part one completely. I know, a lot of it isn't accurate, but I give more info about why I did what I did, what I hated, and what I liked about Interim Battles in my author page.

Now, part two has A LOT more action in it than part one. Also, this is where the plot gets moving. Part one was basically a character builder, but now the stage is set for the real show to begin. It's late, I'm having focusing issues, so I'll probably come back and give this a better author's note later. :) Thanks, MorganRay.


	22. The Cave

**The Caves**

(Seiji)

Waking from a dream, or a dreamless sleep, is a strange thing. First, I always notice the light. The light in my dreams just isn't real, but the light streaming through the window was just too real. When I opened my eyes, sometimes, the dreams seemed to follow me into reality, but today, they faded away from me.

I didn't remember what I dreamed when I came home. We had searched for Ryo, but we had come home without him. We figured he was going over to stay with Lee or Tomo for the night, since that's where he went to escape the manor sometimes. I could accept that because Ryo's tension had been tangible the past couple days. So, I let him go without much of a thought. Still, Kento couldn't understand, but he accepted the idea with a shrug.

I sat up, thinking about Kento and Kayura, who had walked arm in arm from the mansion that night. There was something almost feverish in Kayura's eyes, which sparkled like she had been awake too long, and her aura had an extra buzz to it that I thought was most definitely different. She might be awake now, since she preferred the morning, too, so I got dressed and went to seek her in the kitchen.

The sunlight, so soft and calm, floated down the stairs. The house was more preternaturally quiet than normal since everyone slept. I listened for movement as I walked down the stairs, but I heard none. Kayura was usually as soundless as the sunlight, though, but when I came into the kitchen, she wasn't there, either. I sighed and went over to the stove to boil water for some tea.

It was on the table. I went over and picked up the hastily scrawled note. It was written on a scrap of paper torn off a notebook. Scribbled, perpendicular to the blue lines, were the words, 'Need to do something important. Look for me if not back by sunrise in two days. Kayura.'

Running my hands along the paper, I reread it several times. Where was she going? What was she doing? I wondered why she didn't tell us, and I wasn't sure if she was attending to something personal or to something that involved sinister things.

I went over and took the water from the stove and poured it over the tea leaves. The smell soothed me, and I returned to the table to look at Kayura's note again. What was there to be concerned about now? She might have gone to look after the shape shifter incident. Then again, why didn't she do that when she first arrived?

_'Look for me if not back by sunrise in two days.'_ It sounded like she was being threatened or was expecting danger. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, which felt a little too oily this morning. Where was she going? I stood up, unable to take sitting and thinking, and decided to go for a walk.

I unlatched the side door, and once outside, I stretched in the morning light. Pulling my arms over my head, I let the stretch move from my toes to my interlaced fingers. I shut my eyes, but I could still feel the sunlight, and there was the sensation of light inside me when I shut my eyes. Even though my eyes remained closed, I knew my eyelids were the only thing that kept the sun from reaching my retinas, so I opened them.

Last night, the clouds had been out for a while, but there were none in the sky this morning. Where the sun rose, the sky had become rose, gold, and a sizzling orange color. The leaves reflected the gold like polished wood, but the lake reflected the entire sky like a silvery plate. In the calm surface, everything shimmered and gleamed, and the occasional ripple disturbed the picture. The birds, who had woken long before I did, chirped throughout the woods, and the fragrance of the flowers always seemed tangibly sweet in the morning. If I opened my mouth, I could taste the fresh scent of the flowers, and there was something bewitching about that sort of air. Simply put, it was a lovely morning, and I started to walk towards the lake.

_Kayura_. For some reason, it all made me think of Kayura. _Sunrise in two days_. Where had she gone? I thought it might be personal, and I wondered about her and Kento. Was there something wrong with Kento? Had she been in contact with the Warlords? Was it simply a trip to the Netherworld? There were so many possibilities for Kayura's disappearance, but I wondered if I should be worried about her. But after all, this was Kayura. She surely didn't need anyone of us defending her. I couldn't imagine anyone alive that could seriously pose a threat to her.

When I reached the forest path, the shade of the trees dimmed the sunlight. However, the light still filtered through the branches and made a glowing patchwork along the trunks and forest floor. Under the green canopy, the air became closer, and after walking for a while, I realized it was going to be a warm day. It was already very humid, and there had been little rain to freshen the earth for a while.

I tripped over something. Curious, I bent over and picked it up. It was a flip flop. I frowned as I turned the sandal over in my hand. As I studied it, I realized I recognized it. This was Cye's shoe, but what was it doing here? Where there was one shoe, there might be another, so I began to look around that area of the forest.

First, I found a shirt, and then, I found the other shoe just a couple feet from a pair of shorts. I gathered all four items, and after looking at them, I realized they all belonged to Cye. I never saw him wearing that shirt much, but I knew the flip flops and the shorts belonged to him. Now, the full set of clothing made more sense than simply finding a flip flop, but at the same time, it was more troubling. Linked with Kayura's disappearance, this didn't seem like a good omen.

Also, like Kayura, I couldn't think of a good reason for Cye's clothes to be in the woods without Cye. And this, more than anything, made we worried because I was afraid I would find Cye out here, too, and why he was out here presumably naked bothered me more than I cared to admit. I kept walking, but now, I was absolutely alert and scanning the forest. I debated whether or not to call for him. If he was running around naked, when he should be ill and in bed, I didn't necessarily know if Cye wanted discovered.

Then again, as I fidgeted with Cye's shirt, I realized that Cye might seriously need help. He had been sick recently, quite a lot, actually. Could this have been a sign? Was I that moronic? I thought we had cared for Cye, but I never thought of something more than the flu had overtaken him. Was it because we hadn't been there for Cye that he had done this? Then, I realized I didn't even know what happened to him.

"Cye!" I called out, not able to restrain myself any longer. I was convinced he was in trouble, and all the wordless implications troubled my mind. I would have yelled for Kayura, too, if it would have done any good. "Cye!"

I was reaching the part of the trail that went beside the lake, and as I looked out towards the water, I heard a noise. "Cye?"

"Seiji," I heard whispered from somewhere towards my right. I thought it came from the thicket beside the edge of the lake, and I took a step in that direction.

"Cye, are you okay?" I asked as I squinted into the brush, trying to catch a glimpse of my friend. When he didn't respond, I asked, "Cye, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Cye's voice was hoarse, and he wasn't speaking in more than a whisper. I took another step towards the thicket because I was sure that's where he was crouched down and hiding. Also, Cye was blatantly lying to me, and that was more disturbing than him being naked in the woods.

"Cye, you're naked," I told him, hoping this would make him come to his senses.

"Could you give me my clothes?" he asked, but I still couldn't see him. I kept trying to catch a glimpse of him, but Cye had picked a great spot to hide, and I couldn't even see his outline.

"Please tell me what's happening," I pleaded with Cye.

"Could you just throw over my clothes?" he snapped at me, and my eye brows shot upwards. What _was_ happening? I felt a stab of guilt, but I knew I wasn't handing over Cye's clothing until he admitted what caused this bizarre behavior.

"You will tell me what the problem is."

Cye groaned, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. I felt terrible and disgusting using his clothes as blackmail. "Why don't you let me get dressed first?"

"Because I feel you would lie to me if I did," I told him the feeling that troubled me the most. Yes, I felt Cye would simply try to brush it all off after I surrendered the one thing he really needed at this moment.

"That's not fair, Seiji!" His voice was strained, and it cracked when he shouted at me.

"Cye, please just come out and tell me. I swear I'll give your clothes back then."

For a while, I got no answer. I heard a movement, and then, his words came out as something akin to a prolonged moan. "_I just want to get_ _dressed_. Why are you doing this?"

"I want to know why _you're_ doing this," I told him, and it was hard to keep my voice steady. Then, I heard another movement, and Cye stood so I could see from his waist upwards. I gasped because, even from a distance, I could see cuts and scars all over his body.

"Get it now?" Cye snapped at me, and I could see the tear stains through the dirt on his face. He sniffed and ran the back of his hand across his eyes. I went to step forward and just hand him back his clothes, but I paused.

"What happened?" I asked, and I was really afraid to find out the answer. Whatever happened obviously wasn't something good, and I suppressed the rising guilt for a moment. What type of person held their friend's clothes as blackmail?

Cye pressed the heel of his hand against his eyes before saying, "I don't know where to start. It's so confusing. I got attacked by a werewolf, Seiji. There are two dead ones over by the lake."

"In the house?" I asked the question, but something told me it wasn't true.

"No," Cye moaned, and he removed his hands from his face. "No, Seiji, I went for a walk a month ago and got attacked. They tried to finish the job last night."

I added it together, and I wasn't enjoying where this answer might take me. I paused, not wanting to admit a possibility because I feared it. I waited, and I had a feeling Cye might keep talking. Indeed, he opened his mouth again, but it was a while before he said, "They bit me, and it's really true, the stuff you see in movies . . . I'm a _bloody werewolf_. Is that what you wanted to hear? Damn it, Seiji, _just give me my clothes_."

I threw them over to him, and a numbness came over me and slithered down into my bones. I felt like a statue, and I didn't have the ability to move closer to Cye. It wasn't that I was afraid of him, but it was that I was shocked. This secret, now spoken, seemed to poison the space between us, and I wasn't sure how to bridge that new awkwardness.

As Cye dressed, I ran down into the woods, where the forest met the lake, and I went to find the bodies. Just as he said, there were two large, black hounds lying beside the lake. There was blood everywhere, and I could see there had been a fight. Instead of studying the area, a shiver went down my spine, and I ran back towards Cye. I couldn't face that scene or imagine what happened last night. I could hardly grasp it all.

When I raced back, I found Cye standing listlessly in the middle of the trail. He looked about to topple over as I jogged up beside him. I looked at him, and I could see how ashen his skin appeared. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was caked in dirt, but when I went to wrap my arm around his shoulder, he shrugged me off.

"Cye?"

"Let's just get back to the manor. I need to rest," he told me, and he began to amble forward, and I saw how slow and unsteady his footsteps were.

"You have to say something to them," I told him. Cye kept walking, and I easily kept pace with him. How could he have hidden this so long? Looking at him, I realized it must have killed him not to tell us.

"Because that's why I _really_ wanted to tell _you_," Cye muttered as he kept doggedly trudging along the forest path.

"Cye, we will help you. I will help you," I told him earnestly. This time, he turned and looked at me. His expression was only that of weariness, and I couldn't tell what else he was feeling.

"See, that's the thing. I knew you, all of you, would want to help me. It's so bloody embarrassing," Cye said as he face distorted again, and he bawled up both his fist. I thought about wrapping my arm around his shoulders, but he didn't look like he would really appreciate it. However, before I thought of a reaction, and there was no easy thing to do, Cye composed himself enough to say, "Go look at the scrolls. They tell you a lot of _werewolves_."

He spat that last word, but I only told him, "Kayura left this morning, and I think she took the scrolls."

"Where did she go?" Cye asked, and his bitterness seemed slightly relieved when he thought about another problem.

"She didn't say. You can read the note. I think she suspected there might be danger, though. This all worries me, Cye," I told him.

Cye nodded slowly before saying, "Later. Seiji, I'll tell them later. I need to shower and sleep."

"Okay," I consented, realizing he didn't have the strength for a confrontation now. Instead, we both walked side by side through the forest until we reached the manor. In the full sunlight, Cye looked even more haggard, and I hoped no one else had woken before we arrived back. However, we got lucky, and there was no one awake yet. When we stepped into the kitchen, I handed Cye Kayura's letter before letting him go upstairs.

"She sounds like there might be trouble," Cye muttered as he lay the letter back down on the table. Then, he started to trudge upstairs.

"I'll get you some more clothes," I told him, and Cye only nodded. I didn't follow him upstairs immediately. Instead, I sat back down at the table and rested my forehead on my palms. What now? I was too shocked to cry, and it wasn't in my nature to bawl like a child over something. I was swimming in guilt from how I had treated Cye, though. I felt like my insides had been covered in slim.

(Nilla)

They were all dancing, but all I could see were their backs. Each woman – or maybe they were men – adorned themselves with gold bracelets, anklets, and necklaces. As they gyrated, the jewelry clanked and jingled, and the noise seemed deafening. It seemed chaotic, but maybe it was just a layering of opposing rhythms. I felt out of place in my kimono, with no jewelry of my own, to clang.

I searched for their faces, but I couldn't see them. There was something strange about all of these people. I thought it might be their movement, but I wasn't sure. I kept walking between them, and I realized they had made an aisle for me to walk down. They bordered each side, creating a mass of bodies that I couldn't penetrate. I had no choice. I had to keeping walking forward.

What was I supposed to see? Then, I saw one of the people peer over her shoulder. Yes, it was definitely a woman, but her eyes were slit like a snake's eyes. I screamed as I watched her tongue flicker out of her mouth.

I launched myself out of my bed. I sprawled on the floor, but there was no frantic sound of clanging jewelry to interrupt the quiet of my room. I panted, my face on the rug, and my heartbeat began to calm down because there was no sound at this hour in the morning.

I pushed myself off the floor and sat with my legs crossed. I hated seeing things like this, and after the shape shifter, I wasn't about to deny that some strange creatures, like the ones I had seen in my dream, couldn't be real. I just hoped I never met the strange woman who had stared at me. I realized it wasn't just her snake like features that scared me, but it was something vaguer in her face than those eyes. What _really_ bothered me about her?

There was a knocking on the door. I jumped up, wondering who was at my house so early. The sun had risen, but I was still exhausted, and it was only five thirty in the morning. I kept myself calm as I went to the door. I peered through the peep hole and immediately opened the door.

"_Lily_?" I asked.

"Nilla, I need to talk to you . . . without your parents hearing us," she whispered. Her voice was so soft and high, but she looked like she hadn't slept at all. I paused, not sure if my house was the right place to talk.

"Where do you want to tell me this . . . what's happening?" I asked. "If you don't want anyone to hear . . . maybe in the kitchen?"

"My parent's aren't home, but we'd have to go back to my house," Lily muttered.

"Would that be better?" I asked, still confused as to what she would tell me. Lily nodded deftly, and I held up a finger to tell her to wait. I put a pair of sweat pants on instead of my pajama pants and threw on a hoody. The morning was still chilly, and I slid on a pair of backless shoes before gesturing Lily out the door.

The air was crisp, and we walked in silence. I kept seeing the snake woman's face as I ambled along beside Lily. She was walking slower than usual, and when I turned to her, I found her staring down at the pavement. I watched her for a while as we took the route, which we both knew by heart, to her house.

She didn't speak a word to me, which let me know something was definitely wrong. She seemed diminished, but I didn't know why. What was serious enough to leave Lily speechless? She didn't look up at me, either, but when we reached her house, she finally met my gaze. I almost gasped as I looked into the usually perky eyes that were now so filled with shame.

"What happened?" I asked her again as she pulled out her key and opened the door for us. We went into the quiet house, and she immediately headed for her bedroom. I followed her, and she handed me a paper bag.

I reached inside it and pulled out a group of sticks. I began to look at them, and I realized they were pregnancy testers. The air was completely still, and neither of us even seemed to breathe. For a moment, I wasn't sure if I had drawn in a breath.

"Lily . . . when?" I whispered.

"About three months ago," she muttered. I lay the strips down on the desk and turned to her. While I had been looking at the strips, she had begun to cry, and the tears welled up in her eyes while they continued to pour down her cheeks.

"Lily . . ."

Before I could formulate another question, she answered me. "I don't know _how_!" Lily shrieked and her voice cracked. "I don't _know_! I don't _remember_!"

I breeched the distance between us in an instant. I threw my arms around her tiny body, and when I did, loud, body racking sobs began to come out of her. I pulled her down to sit on her bed, and I silently rocked her while I held her.

"It's going to be okay," I whispered.

"My parents will disown me," she wailed, and I could feel that my shoulder was damp.

"I'll take care of you," I muttered and stroked her hair. "We'll go to a clinic and get the baby checked out, okay?"

"What . . . what if somebody knows me?" she whimpered.

"It won't be on this side of the city." At this, Lily quieted, but my mind was already troubled. Why didn't she remember? Suddenly, I had a feeling that I should remember, too.

(Kayura)

I stepped through the overgrown grass, and in the one shaded slope of the valley, the morning sun had yet to burn off the dew. My legs, up to my knees, were wet and damp, but I had to walk down into this valley. The staff had allowed me to travel only so far, but I knew this would be a journey in which I must travel by foot.

The tiger padded beside me, and the fact that he had not been bothered reassured me. We had come in one side of the valley this morning, and now, we climbed up the opposite side, which had been in shade all day. It was in the late afternoon, now, and we had spied that plot of brown, barren earth before the cave.

It was too soon before we reached it. I knew what it would look like. Now, alone with the tiger, I faced that black abyss in the side of the mountain. I stood there, at the edge of the arid strip of land before the entrance. It was the tiger that took the first step. I wanted to ask him to stop, but when he went to the entrance, and then, turned around to look at me, I knew I must go.

"You will lead me?" I asked him in a whisper, and the tiger gave a deep, rumbling purr in response. I stepped forward, and when I moved, the rings on the staff clinked against each other. She was not standing in the entrance, and when I reached the threshold, I put my hand on the tiger's head. He purred, and began to walk, and I kept pace with my hand still resting on his head.

We walked, and soon, the light of day was gone. The temperature dropped, and only the tiger kept me from stopping and refusing to go deeper into the cave. I felt a great dark presence all around me, and I knew we were approaching something dangerous. The temperature plummeted, and a shiver raced down my spine. The staff began to glow, and the rings jingled against one another. I braced myself, but the tiger kept moving, and then, that moment of tenseness and evil passed.

The staff stopped jingling, and things, back in the deep reaches of the cave, felt normal. The presence of evil seemed stripped away, and here, I felt there was something else. Yes, in this part of the cave, there was something sacred.

Finally, the tiger halted. I had no idea how far we had gone, but when we stopped, I concentrated my power into the staff. It began to glow, and I could see that we were, indeed, in the back of the cave. By the wall, upon a raised slab of stone, lay a golden shield, and it reflected the light of the staff like a mirror. It had not rusted with age, and I was unsure how old it was, and as I got closer, I realized that there was something under the shield.

A skeletal hand protruded from one side of the shield, and then, I saw two pairs of skeletal feet. "Oh gods," I whispered. In response, the tiger roared, but it was mournful and full of grief. Then, the tiger passed me and went over to sit by the one hand, and to my astonishment, the tiger licked the one boney finger.

"You knew them?" I asked, and the tiger turned to look at me again. Yes, his gaze told me, he knew them well. Then, he moved and went over and picked up something that I hadn't noticed before and carried it over to me. It was a satchel bag, covered in dust, and when I took hold of the handle, I realized it was made of some type of animal hide. I fingered the strap, and as I studied the bag, I realized how well crafted it was. It had held up long enough for these two people to become skeletons, and as I picked it up to take it with me, I realized there was something in it.

I opened it, and on top, there was a huge scroll. Underneath, I could see other papers, but the scroll looked more recent, and these other papers looked extremely ancient. I wondered if they would crumble, but if they hadn't been touched, then maybe they would be okay. The tiger nudged my leg, and as I looked down into his eyes, I knew he wanted me to take the bag.

Without further ado, I threw the bag over my shoulder. "Let us go," I whispered, and the tiger stepped in front of me again and allowed me to rest my hand on his head. Once again, he led me through that eerie part of the cave, and not soon enough, we reached the barren plateau in front of the entrance. I gratefully stepped out into the already shadowed valley. The sun had set while we were inside, and this made me more anxious to get back to the manor.

As I reached the edge of the brown, grassless strip, I turned around to look at the place I feared so much. I shivered when I thought of those eyes in the blackness, and then, the tiger growled. I felt his body tense, and the rings of the staff began to react. Was this all to my fear? No, it couldn't be.

I heard the cold, metallic laugh before I saw her. My breath was swept from my lungs, and I thought my heart had stopped for a moment. I knew that laugh, and she kept laughing as she stepped from the abysmal darkness onto the threshold of the cave.

"Kayura." She erupted in another spell of chilling laughter. "How good to see you!"

I looked into her eyes, which were so much like my own eyes. They were the same color, and now that we were older, we seemed to have developed similar physiques. She still had a thinner face and longer limbs, but becoming older and training had burned away my baby fat. Now, our shapes were similar, and to my horror, she wore the same coloring and style of armor I had worn under Talpa! However, I noticed that she did not wear any golden plate, and I had a hunch she was not possessed.

Then, I saw a silver gleam, and more shocking than seeing her, was realizing she had one of my twin jitte in her left hand. Then, I looked to her right hand and saw something much worse.

"Kikyo! What have you done!" I shouted as I stared at an unconscious Cale. Kikyo only chuckled as she released her hold on Cale's neck. She let his head drop into the crook of her right arm, and then, she laughed as she began to fondle his hair.

"Nothing important, Kayura," she said with another peel of tinkling laughter. "I just brought your friends to see you."

The tiger let out an ear splitting growl that, for a moment, wiped the sneer off Kikyo's features. Then, a grin slowly spread once again across her face. She stepped slightly to the right and tilted her head to look over her shoulder.

I stopped the scream in my throat. It was _her_! I saw her eyes, those burning pits, first. In them, I heard the same message: I know you, Kayura. _I know you_.

I shivered, and then, I looked at her entire form as she stepped beside Kikyo into the threshold of the cave. Her skin looked like marble, but even though it was almost translucent, it seemed to give off no color. Instead, everything about her seemed to suck the world into her, and in her, she would absorb all things.

Beside her skin, everything else about her was as black as the cave from which she came. A shiver raced down my spine again as I studied her. My mouth fell open as I realized that she held the other two warlords in her pale hands. They, too, were unconscious, but she held them effortlessly by their necks.

"Kayura," she said, and her voice was the peeling of funeral bells. I looked to her eyes when she spoke, and in absolute fear, I stared into those burning pits. However, the low, rumbling growl of the tiger and the clanging of the staff gave me the strength to stare at her again.

"It has been a long time," she said, and her speech was languid, but she waited to put her power behind her words. "I see you will not come with me, Kayura. It is a pity."

"Go back to your abyss!" I shouted, and I surprised myself with the scream. It seemed to come from someone much bolder than myself, but the tiger supported my shout with a trumpeting growl of his own.

"I would make you a trade," she said, and she raised her hands up. She still held Dais and Sekhmet by their necks, so when she moved her hands up, it caused their bodies to rise off the ground. I bit my lower lip as I felt the anger and the hatred boil in my stomach.

"What have you done!" I asked her, and the fear rose in me that she had truly hurt the three of them. Gods, I would never forgive myself for leaving them if she hurt them.

"I have brought them to you," she told me in that same, musically even voice. "Their lives for your armor."

My insides dropped out, and I thought my heart stopped beating. Time seemed suspended, and I took my eyes away from her to stare at my three unconscious friends. Would my stubbornness be the cause of their deaths? I did not doubt she would kill them. I had no reason to think she would do anything but keep her word. She would take them and suck their lives into her being of endless power.

Then, with the noise of the staff still ringing in my ears, I closed my eyes. In my hand, I felt the armor orb pulse and throb with waiting power.

_Listen to your heart._

I felt like someone had whispered to me, but I knew not who it was. I sighed, then, and I opened my eyes again. I stared at the three of them, and for a moment, I forgot she and Kikyo were there, and I only saw my three friends. I noticed that their armors were gone, though, and they were dressed only in normal clothing.

So, that's what happened, I realized. They had given up their armors because I felt she didn't have them yet. Yes, the staff told me the other three armors were still free and out of her grasp. My heart sunk because I knew what I had to do.

I raised the hand with the orb into the air.

_Kami, if I have any grace left to me, let it carry this armor away. Let it find a safe place and a bearer worthy of its power. Let it pass forever away from her hands and the hands of evil ones. Please, give it grace to find a true and loyal heart._

I dung into myself and severed the bonds between myself and the armor. I watched as it fizzled and then spun off in a spiral of light like a shooting star. I sighed, and I looked back towards her.

"It is beyond you," I told her in a steady, even voice. She just stared back at me, and then, with her prisoners in her hands, she withdrew back into the cave. Then, I turned to stare at Kikyo, who was seething with anger.

"I will personally make sure they suffer and then die painfully for you," Kikyo spat, and I felt the force of her threat hit me square in the heart. My breathing was shallow, but I stood there, facing the cave until the staff's rings quite jangling. Then, I collapsed and leaned against the staff. I wept because I had sentenced them to death.

(Cye)

I was in the woods by the lake, and there were those glowing eyes. It was dark, and all I could see were the eyes. I pulled up my fists as the anger and fear welled up inside of me. "Let's finish this!" I shouted, but there was no response for a while.

"Torrent," she whispered, and a jolt went through my body when she used the armor's name. "Come, you are mine."

I charged at her -- I knew it was a she because of the voice -- and tried to strike her, but she always seemed out of reach. I couldn't see anything of her but her eyes. They were the eyes of a wolf, glowing and shimmering in the darkness. I finally got close enough, but sweat was beading all over my body. I went to hit her.

"You are mine," she hissed, and pain rippled all over my body. No! I was changing again, and I heard barking in the distance.

She still stood there as I writhed in agony.

_"You are mine!"_

I shot up, and the light in my eyes calmed me. I flopped upon the floor, scratching at myself and drawing ragged breaths. I drug my nails across my skin, trying to scrap away the pain. Then, I realized the pain wasn't there, and I stopped moving. As my breathing calmed and my heart stopped palpitating in arrhythmic beats, the sensations of torture and changing went away.

Instead of being in the woods, I was laying on my bedroom floor, wrapped up in my sheets. I lay still, panting with my face in the carpet. Even though I was safe, I knew she was real. I didn't know who she was, but I knew she had really been there in the woods with me. Simply, it was too real to be false.

I rolled over, finally, and I looked up at the ceiling. The afternoon light, diffused by the curtains, cast an uneven pattern of light and dark across the ceiling. For a moment, I felt like I was looking up at the sky underwater, and I found the strength to pick off the sheets, which clung to my body because of sweat.

Eventually, I had peeled the sheets away, and I was left standing in the room wearing a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt that was soaked with sweat. Before I left the room, I checked my body to see if my scars were visible. I had seen them in the shower, and Seiji certainly had noticed them in the woods. Thankfully, the deepest scars were only little white lines, now.

And then, there was Seiji. When I opened the door and left my room, I went looking for Seiji. My first stop was to go into the upstairs study. My hunch was correct, and Seiji sat at the table, perusing a couple books at once. He hadn't noticed me yet, and I was tempted to try and sneak back into my room before he did see me.

However, he looked up before I could make a move. Instead of speaking, Seiji motioned for me to take a seat at the table. As I approached Seiji, there was only the sound of my feet on the floor and him flipping a page. It was unnerving, really, and I didn't know how we could breach that barrier. What could be more shameful than being found in the woods naked?

When I sat down, I saw Seiji was doing some homework, and it somehow relieved me to know he wasn't reading about werewolves. For a while, we just sat there, and the silence made that distinct shame I'd know for a month rise inside of me. More than anything, I hated that slimy, guilty feeling, and I loathed myself for feeling that way.

"It's been quiet around here, surprisingly," Seiji began the conversation, but I just nodded. He glanced at me, waiting for an answer, though, but eventually, he continued. "I think Kayura's disappearance upset Kento, and Ryo's been evasive since he came home."

"Where was he?" I asked. Somehow, it pricked my feelings that Ryo hadn't been here last night.

"He went to Tomo's," Seiji answer casually, but I felt a frown descend on my face. Somehow, I felt Ryo had betrayed me, but that was irrational.

"Anyway," Seiji said when I didn't respond, "do you want to do it now?"

"I don't want to say it." I looked at him, just begging him to do me that favor. Saying it to Seiji was difficult, and I didn't think I could do it again. I would do anything to not have to admit the truth, but it was inevitable now.

"Okay, then, I will," Seiji replied with a sigh. After a moment, Seiji stood up, but his movements were slow, and it seemed like moving took a lot of effort. I waited until Seiji had gone to the door before languidly rising from my seat, too.

It was a death march down the hallway, and we didn't say anything to each other. When we went downstairs, I could hear the sound of the TV along with Kento, Rowen, and Ryo's voices coming from the living room. I swallowed the lump in my throat when we reached the kitchen, and I automatically followed Seiji into the living room. At the threshold, I hesitated as I surveyed Ryo, Rowen, and Kento playing video games.

"You woke up," Kento said as he turned to see me. I flashed a wane smile, and Seiji's look of anticipation nudged me past the threshold and into the room.

"We should turn off the TV," Seiji said, and Ryo and Kento gave him bitter looks.

"Why?" Rowen asked as he put down his controller.

"We need to talk," Seiji began, and his tone was so grave that the other three guys listened. They all got up and stretched, and the five of us stood with Seiji and I facing the other three.

"What's up?" Ryo asked, pulling his arms behind his head.

"I think Kayura might be in real danger," Seiji began.

"There's not much we can do about her, now, since we don't know where she is," Ryo said, and Kento responded with an assenting head nod. I sighed and walked over to a chair, and Seiji moved with me for a moment, as if to follow me, but he stopped.

Now, I found myself sitting down on the chair, which was separated from the couch. It was a nice transition, really. I appreciated Seiji's tact in introducing the subject of Kayura first. I couldn't smile, though, and I found myself listening to Rowen. "So, we thought that something bad might be happening with Kayura. What can we do but wait another day?"

"There's something else," Seiji added, and Rowen only cocked an eyebrow at him. They were both still standing, but Ryo and Kento had sat down, but I kept myself apart from them in a chair. It was purposeful, and I fought the shame that threatened to redden my checks before Seiji even spoke.

"What's that?" Rowen asked, and I found myself wanting him to sit down, too. Somehow I thought that would be better, but he kept standing. It made my insides twist together.

Seiji paused and ran a hand through his glossy hair while he tilted his head to look up at the ceiling. I knew he was going to try to say it, and he would want to do it eloquently. The problem was that there was no easy way to tell this.

"I know what's wrong with Cye's illnesses," Seiji began slowly, and now, I felt the other three pairs of eyes upon me instead of Seiji, who kept talking even though he wasn't being watched. "I'm just wondering if Kayura knows, although I doubt it, and even if she doesn't know, it makes everything that much more serious."

"What are you getting at?" Ryo asked as he leaned forward on the couch to look over at me, as if he could see the malady in my face now. Thankfully, he couldn't, and I fought down that irrational fear.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Kento asked, and I turned away from the pair on the couch to look up at Rowen, who was studying me with that scrutinizing gaze he gave to books and scientific data. Suddenly, I hated him for that look, and I felt all my guts tingle and go numb with cold. It was good, too, that I lost some feeling inside because I could meet Rowen's gaze with one I hoped was sufficiently frigid.

"What to know?" I asked Rowen before Seiji could speak again. Rowen raised one eyebrow, and he nodded slowly. "I'm surprised you didn't get it before now. I practically told you. Actually, you let me know what's wrong."

I couldn't help myself. The frustration in his face made me laugh, and I felt like I was existing outside myself. The feeling that came over me was similar to the one I got talking to Lily. I didn't care what it took, but I just wanted to bring Rowen down, and the rapid pulsing when I jabbed his buttons made me giddy.

"What are you saying?" Rowen asked now, and I could see some type of anger rising in his eyes. I was glad they were all watching, and I knew I could do this before the shame overtook me again.

"I'm saying you're dumb, mate."

"Say it again, you bastard, because I think some beast crawled inside you and poisoned you," Rowen spat, and I felt my stomach fall out, but I grinned more broadly despite myself.

"Cye?" Seiji asked, but I didn't look up at the blond. "Rowen, calm down. None of us knew."

"He should have known. He told me what I needed to know. Remember the night I threw up the first time I had 'the flu' ?" I sneered at Rowen, and when his eyes narrowed, the fierce frustration bubbled up inside of me. I was so close, and him taking the bait egged me forward.

It was a moment before Rowen spoke, and even as I watched the revelation streak through his eyes, I felt no fear. Instead, I looked at the room, aware of the peace that was about to be shattered. Ryo was on the edge of the couch, ready to get up, eyes now on Rowen. Seiji, whose face looked more pale than I remembered seeing it just a moment ago, stood like a statue with his mouth open, gaping at Rowen. Kento, though, leaned back against his couch, and I knew he was looking at me, so I refused to meet his eyes.

"That's a lie," Rowen muttered, and bewilderment filled his features. "You can't be talking about what I think you are."

"What's going on? What do you know, Rowen, because I'm in the dark," Ryo snapped, and he looked up at Seiji and then over at me. "Are you going to tell Kento and me this great revelation?"

"I don't think Rowen knows. He's a little slow." As I said this, I knew I had crossed the line. I could see the reaction on Seiji's face, first, and then the rage filled Rowen's features. His eyes narrowed as he bore all his anger down upon me. Seiji took a tentative step forward to block Rowen, but I knew Rowen wasn't going to physically fight me.

"You think I'm slow, huh? How about you tell them, or I will," Rowen threatened me, but I couldn't keep the laugh from escaping my throat. Something about his threat seemed so ridiculous, and I was so thankful I didn't have to speak the secret.

"I don't think you know," I told him, and I felt my insides spin as the boiling rage in Rowen turned into an icy, cold anger that spread like liquid steel through his body.

"Alright," Rowen said in a loud, calculating, tone, "you little _beast_. Where do you want me to begin? How was the moon last night? I had a lovely walk, but I bet the same can't be said for you."

"Rowen!" Seiji yelped, but it was too late. My guts liquefied, and I felt a tremble go through me because I knew Rowen wasn't going to stop now.

"Think I'm slow now, Cye? You're a werewolf." Now, Rowen turned to face Kento and Ryo for a moment. "Heard that, guys? We've been keeping a pet the last month."

"What?" Ryo gaped, and now, he stood up, too. Suddenly, I felt surrounded, and I knew I had been wrong. The worst thing I thought could happen was telling the guys what happened to me. I thought that would be the worst, but Rowen's insults were consuming all the bravado I had a moment ago.

"You know, Cye, I bet it's more painful than in the movies," Rowen mused as he took a couple steps over towards me. "I'm not so stupid, am I, Cye? And even if you're feeling all clever for hiding the truth for so long, at least I'm not the one that's infected."

With that, Rowen walked out of the room. When he moved, Seiji came to life and went to chase him down. "Rowen!" Seiji called as he raced into the kitchen after the other warrior. Now, I felt numb and empty, but Ryo was still standing before me.

"Did you seriously lie to us for that long?" Ryo asked, and I struggled to find an answer. However, I didn't have an answer, so I kept staring blankly at Ryo, and the longer I looked at him, the more I saw that smoldering look come into his eyes.

"We could have helped you!" Ryo exclaimed and threw his hands up into the air.

"I didn't want your help," I spat. I couldn't explain how embarrassing it would have been for the guys to have been there last night. God, it was horrible when Seiji found me this morning.

But Ryo didn't understand. Like Rowen, his features hardened in anger, but he only said, "Fine, you don't want our help, so keep helping yourself. It's worked really well for you."

Then, Ryo left, and I heard some noise in the kitchen, followed by the shutting of the kitchen door. As I sat in the living room, I realized Kento still sat in the couch, and he hadn't gotten up, either. Silence dragged between us, and I finally turned my head towards Kento. I moved slowly, and it felt like an eternity before I finally let my eyes land on his figure.

"You want to leave, too?" I asked, and my voice cracked when I hit leave. It was difficult, looking at Kento, so still and motionless. He was slouched over in the couch, and he pressed his forehead against his fists. I couldn't see his face, but I thought that might be for the better. I braced myself for Kento's eventual anger at my betrayal, too. Besides, if I had really been a traitor, it had been to my own roommate.

Then, Kento looked up at me, and my insides dropped away, leaving me completely numb. Kento had been crying.

"Buddy . . . _why_? Dude, I would have been there," Kento muttered, and I turned away from his tear stained face. Yes, I had been unbelievably selfish, and now, I couldn't swallow the lump in my throat or blot away the mist, which clouded my vision, with my sleeve. I slid out of the chair and sat on the floor, and I pulled my legs up to my chin like a child. Besides, I had acted like a child.

Leaning against the couch, I let my forehead rest against my knees. It was then that I let the shame wash over me, and all the horrors culminated in that moment. I saw the eyes, I felt the pain, and I heard the accusations ringing in my ears. _What had I done_?

No, I didn't do anything initially. What had been done to _me_? Why had this happened? I didn't understand, and all that I knew was that the evil from my bit had crawled into me and poisoned me. Yes, Rowen had been right, in a way, and my fear and shame controlled me. But what could I do about that, now? I had let everyone down in my own quiet way. What was it I had heard?

_'You can't run, Ronin. You are mine.'_

Maybe it was true, what she had told me. Maybe I _was_ hers. Maybe I did belong to her and was just another one of her evil creatures. That caused the tears to spill onto my legs, but I ignored them. I had betrayed the guys, and this time, it was my lack of trust that had split us apart.

An arm went around my shoulder, and I pulled my head off my knees. Kento sat beside me, but there was no smile on his face and only a look of distress in his eyes. I didn't know how I looked to him, but I felt my heart break at the sight of his despondent face.

"I'm sorry. I was so ashamed," I muttered, and a fresh flood of tears fell down my cheeks. Then, Kento pulled me closer to him and I put my head against his shoulder. I kept crying, unable to stop, and he sat there. We didn't say anything, and I didn't know if he was crying or not. All I knew is that all my frustration streamed out through my eyes and stained Kento's shirt.

I couldn't tell how long it was before I hear someone on the other side of me. This caused me to look up because I thought the other three had left, but Seiji sat down beside me and ran his hand across my back. I still leaned against Kento, but I smiled faintly when I saw Seiji.

"They'll be back," Seiji muttered as he looked away from me and stared ahead at the wall. I felt myself sink again when I thought of Ryo and Rowen. So, they really had left. As Seiji stared into space, he continued to speak. "It's sadly ironic that the only thing that might get Ryo and Rowen to have better feelings towards each other is this."

"It's all _wrong_!" Kento burst out, and Seiji's head snapped around to face him. Now, the tears had welled up in Kento's eyes again, and I felt another wave of crying coming on when I saw Kento cry. "It's all wrong, man. This shouldn't have happened. This wasn't what we signed up to do. We're supposed to be a team. Cye, man, I should have been there for you . . . but why? I don't know what to think. Kayura's gone, and I want her here because she would know what to do. I don't."

"Kento," Seiji replied in a soft, soothing voice, "we're going to be okay. Things are happening, and I feel something is happening that we just don't realize."

"Like what?" I asked Seiji. "Please tell me anything."

"Well, lets thing back to the end of Talpa," Seiji began, and I wiped my eyes on my sleeve when Seiji began to talk. "We came to Mia's mansion and started school. Did anything happen before this? Was there anything, with anyone, even those not involved with Talpa, which could be considered weird?"

"I can't think of anything until that shape shifter," Kento said, and he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Seiji. All I can think of is the shape shifter and this."

"No, there's more," Seiji added. "That N'deki girl is a healer. Her healing Ryo's leg could be considered abnormal activity."

"True," I muttered. "When you think of it, though, Nilla being the only to know of us is significant, too."

"Yeah," Kento said as he moved. I sat up, moving away from him, and I noticed all of us had stopped crying now. "You know, Kayura coming back could be something."

"Well, her leaving is definitely strange and alarming," Seiji mused, and then something flashed in his eyes. "Nilla saw something last night. It really frightened her, too, and she said it was about Lily and this man."

"I've had dreams, too," I confessed. "There is this woman's voice, and she tells me I will be . . . hers. She sent the wolves of me, Seiji, but I never saw a man."

"So, we have a man, a wolf-woman, Lily, Nilla, N'deki, a shape shifter, and Kayura pegged as something odd," Kento summed everything up. "Somehow, I don't see how all of them are connected."

"That's the thing," Seiji muttered, "I wonder if they are connected. I can't tell. They could be. Everything could be, but then again, everything could be unrelated."

"Something makes me say no," I stated, and both Seiji and Kento looked at me again. "Guys, something about all of this just appears too planned. The attacks on me and Rowen were perfect. Everything just seems to slip into each other, and maybe Kayura realized something was wrong."

"What do we do?" Kento asked.

"We wait for Kayura," Seiji commanded us, but his voice never rose. "We get prepared. If someone is coming for us, we're going to fight them."

A/N: Anyway, there, you get a little, tiny bit of resolution with the Cye/werewolf plot. However, that plot is not finished, but it leads into something much bigger. As Seiji said, if someone is after them, and that is true, then there is going to be a fight. Let's just say the next dozen, partially written chapters, all deal with those four missing armors.

LWKitty: Cye's not done, but the next part of the Cye/werewolf plot will have to wait. Kayura, while not evil, is definately contending with Kikyo, who pretty much just decided to dress up as Kayura, but there's also a reason for that choice, too, besides just messing with the Warlords' minds.

GS: No, Kayura is not evil again, although I loved that response. Glad the Kayura mystery worked. Kayura still has a big secret waiting, but it's coming out soon.


	23. Armor Bearer

**Armor Bearer**

(As it should be noted, all dialogue from the series is not written by me. I transcribed it from the DVD onto this page, and it is correct to the best of my ability. Some of Yuli and Mia's dialogue is not transcribed because it is assumed their sideline comments aren't heard.)

(Kento)

I picked up the eggs, and I scanned the store for Seiji and Cye. We were doing errands for my family, and it seemed like a good idea to spend the night at my place. After spending one sleepless night at the manor, we decided staying with my family would work. Seiji was worried about Kayura, and so was I, but we would come back in the morning to see if she was okay.

I spied Seiji at the end of an aisle and went to get him. "Hey, buddy, let's . . ." I paused and lost my tongue when I saw he was facing N'deki. She looked a little pale, and when she glanced over at me, she looked nervous.

"Hey, N'deki," I stammered, not sure what to say. I wasn't sure what she had said to Seiji. She was the one that could heal, and we had pegged her under our lists of weird people or things that we'd discovered in the last several months.

"N'deki," Seiji recovered and turned to look at me, "was just saying how her step mother is not feeling well. She's shopping for her."

I opened my mouth and hoped I wouldn't sound lame. "Oh, well, we're just doing some shopping for my family."

"Kento," Cye called to me as he approached. N'deki looked over at him, and I saw her face grow slightly pale.

"I really must go," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need to leave. Mi Sang will want me back. Nice to see you."

With that, she turned and practically ran in the opposite direction. "Is she _really_ that shy?" I asked Seiji and Cye. Cye nodded, but Seiji kept staring off into space.

"I'll tell you outside," he said and turned to go check out our food. I wondered what had gone on between Seiji and N'deki before I came. The girl had looked unhinged.

The day was slightly overcast, but overall, it was a mild day. I carried the most grocery bags, and when I came out of the store last, I sprinted over to Cye and Seiji. "So, what did she say?"

"Well, it's what she _didn't_ say," Seiji began. I walked on his right, and Cye moved to his left, so we could both hear. "I recognized her. However, she didn't remember me, so I introduced myself. I asked her how she was, and she told me about her sick step mum, and we soon decided to part company."

"_That's_ exciting," I grumbled. "So why did she look freaked?"

"She bumped me in passing," Seiji continued, "and when she did, I felt _something_. She did, too, because she turned around to face me again. I swear she was going to speak, but then you came."

"What was she going to say?" Cye asked.

Seiji kept walking, but his mouth bent into a frown. In a softer voice, he told us, "_Armor_ _bearer_ . . . she _knew_ I had an armor."

"Nuh-uh," I muttered. "She _couldn't_ know."

"Well, she does, and by the way she looked, she also knows you two have one," Seiji stated. We were now back to my family's restaurant, so we stopped talking. I worked hard to get everything packed away and in its place. When I was done unloading groceries, I looked over to find Cye.

"I'll grab some food and meet both of you in my room," I told him. Cye deftly nodded, and I went to cook several hamburgers. I grabbed a few cans of soda before taking the burgers up to my room. When I opened the door, I saw Cye reclined on the bed. Seiji, his eyes focused on the carpet, sat at the foot off my bed. Cye sat up and made room for me when I came into the room, and Seiji slid over so he could sit facing us.

"First of all," I said after I finished eating part of my burger, "I think it's bogus that this girl knows we have armors."

"It's true," Seiji replied. "She had powerful spirit energy, Kento, and I am convinced she felt my spirit's aura, too."

I rolled my eyes as I swallowed the part of the burger I had put into my mouth while Seiji spoke. "My first thought, if I randomly bumped into somebody, wouldn't be, _gee_, an armor bearer."

"Well, she's not normal. We know that," Seiji stated. "Will she be a problem?"

"No, she's very shy," Cye said. "I'm in class with her, and she's the last person that would pose a threat to us."

"She had a powerful aura," replied Seiji as he wiped his mouth. "We should keep an eye on her."

"We shouldn't go over and stalk her house, if _that's_ what you mean," I said, "because did you _see_ how scared she was? If she was _that_ afraid of just bumping you, she's harmless. What do you think she's going to do, sell us out to the papers with no facts?"

"I agree with Kento, actually," Cye said as I punched him lightly in the shoulder. "I can watch her in class, but I doubt she'll do anything. Seiji, _she's_ not an armor bearer."

(N'deki)

I clutched the bags with white knuckles as I walked back to the house. My heart was pounding in my chest, but I didn't understand why I was so terrified. Did I really think Seiji, Cye, and Kento were going to hurt me? Of course not, but I knew.

Gods, I _knew_. No one had to tell me, but I knew. I knew they were what I had seen in the dreams. Suddenly, it didn't matter if my head knew because my heart knew. They were warriors, too, like the boy in the red armor. Yes, they had fought in that way, and I knew they had been there, in that moment, when the giant went to kill me and that boy.

It was irrational, I realized, as I set the groceries down on the table top. Why would I ever think that Seiji, Cye, and Kento were involved? I had just seen them in a store! However, I couldn't get the feeling out of my body that entered into me when I bumped into Seiji. I had touched him, and for a moment, that cloud between dream and reality had dissolved.

I was living in my dream. I moaned as I realized that I thought they were part of these things I had seen. With a heavy sigh, I went into the living room and sat down in a chair. I leaned my neck against the plush, soft chair back. It felt good, for a moment, to think of nothing.

Nothing. I let my mind rest upon nothing. I drifted and let my body relax. I slid back into sleep. And, then I was back in the dream.

I was there again, with the steam and the rocks, and I was moving towards the heat. I felt my heart pounding, but once again, I wasn't myself. I continued walking, but I heard a clanking sound as I did so. My footfalls were heavier than normal, and the terror welled up in my gut.

And then I saw the edge of the volcano.

I didn't pass out, although that was my first expectation, and my first instinct was to flee in the opposite direction. What was I doing? Why was I here? I gasped, but I didn't open my mouth. And why could I stand so close to this volcano?

I glanced down, but it wasn't me that moved. I saw my hands, covered in metal plating. What was I wearing?

"Worked up a sweat, boy?"

I went to scream, but the rough, male voice only chuckled. There was malice in this voice, and it sickened my spirit. I felt my insides weaken, but this body didn't move.

"Anubis!"

I knew that voice. I'd heard it before, and as this man, Anubis, looked down, I met the sparkling blue eyes, but they burned with unadulterated loathing. It was the boy in the red armor agaub, but there was something different in this dream.

"You were surprised? You should have stayed at the bottom of that moat pit. Now, I'll have to send you back!" He shouted, and even though I felt my mind screaming to the point of explosion, I moved with this body and tried to throw the boy back into the volcano. However, he drew his sword, but this man was too fast for him.

"Die!" the man shrieked, and his voiced seemed to stop my cries completely. Then, a tiger jumped between us. It only took a moment, but the boy now had two swords. The boy charged me, and I had to exchange blows with him. He fought me, and I had no choice but to move with this man. For N'deki, there was no choice, and it pained me to watch this boy suffer. I felt I knew him, and it hurt me to know he was being hurt.

"You won't beat me again, Anubis," the boy declared. I stared at him in this single moment of respite from the battle. Yes, I had seen him before, but then, I remembered that these two had fought together. What had changed?

"That's what you think boy," Anubis, because I figured that is who this must be, spat. Then, the boy turned his head, and the attack came. This Anubis brought his sickle down, but the boy dodged the first blow.

I struck at him. I screamed, but the man only tried harder. Damn it! I couldn't break through to stop this! I couldn't do anything as the boy was tossed into the volcano again.

"He's finished!" My mind was freaking out, but nothing would respond. It wasn't my voice! It wasn't me! I didn't know what to do because I could do nothing.

"Prepare to die!" this person, who was not me, cried out again. felt despair closing in on my heart, but then, the red armor boy broke the surface of the volcano again in a spray of magma and heat. What power. I needed something like that to break my bonds to this man.

"No way!" boy's defiance gave me a glimmer of hope. Maybe it wasn't hopeless. Maybe I could escape this horror. He was so confident, yet I was so afraid. I felt like I would die, and it felt like me who would be finished. This place, this person, and this fight would finish N'deki as I knew her.

"You're finished!" this man cried out again, but I had no words. I could feel the power radiating off his armor, and I was terrified. I was on this boy's side, but he might kill me, too.

"I don't think so!" the boy shouted as he charged me. I screamed, but Anubis fought back.

Then, during the attack, the red boy got the upper hand and snapped the sickle. When it shattered, I felt the reverberations of that power sting my palms, but it was a distant pain. However, the man didn't stop, and he leapt up into the air and shouted, "Quake with fear!"

I wanted to say, yes, that's what I'm already doing. The power to drive this attack flooded through me, and I felt the same sensation that I had in the other dream. I still wondered, though, why these two were fighting each other. I knew what I had seen last time, and this the complete opposite scenario.

However, this time, the boy repelled the attacks and bound me up in chains. "Want more, Warlord? I've had enough of you!"

The boy scowled, and I felt his triumph for a moment. Yes! This would have to end! How could the fight continue when this boy was so powerful? Would this mean I would die?

But Anubis, this Warlord, leapt in the air, and then, I saw a woman and a child standing by the volcano. I hadn't noticed them in my panic, but I knew, that when I saw them, that this Anubis would see them, too.

I screamed, but there was no sound. He laughed instead, and the woman cried, "Run, Yuli!"

"We're out of here!" the kid squealed as he went to sprint away, but this man was too fast.

"I won't let you get away," he growled as I moved to chase down the boy and the woman. There was a flash, and a tiger, yes, the same tiger, came and pounced at me. A tiger, I thought, but then, before I could wonder at this animal, this Anubis fought it, too, and threw it to the ground. Without another pause, he grabbed both woman and child, and the panic was building in my mind. There was no physical place for my stress and anxiety to go, and I couldn't shove it into this Warlord's body and make him feel what I felt.

"Let them go or else!" the boy shouted, and once again, we were next to the edge of the volcano. Why this volcano? Why was this happening to me? Would I die, too, if this Anubis fell into the pit?

"I'll trade you these two for your life."

It was a nasty threat, and I moaned because exhaustion had kept me from mentally crying out yet again. I couldn't continue like this. My sanity was slipping, and I needed to have control over some kind of body. It was like after healing Ariel, but only so much worse because I was moving, but it wasn't me.

The boy came for the woman and child. When he got close, I noticed how hot that armor was! However, it was the kid and the woman that screamed. I only laughed. "What's the matter, Wildfire? Come fight me!"

I groaned inside, and I thought of these arms releasing the child and the woman. Nothing of that sort happened, but instead, the warlord kept cackling, and the woman cried out to protect the little boy. How could this warlord hold this woman and child hostage at the edge of a volcano? There was something so unspeakably inhuman and terrible about it. I couldn't have imagined it until now.

"Release them! It's between us!" The boy screamed again, but the warlord only chuckled.

"Have it your way. I'll bring the little darlings to you!"

I shrieked again, but nothing happened. He continued to march the squirming girl and child over to the red armored boy. I could see the panic in his eyes, and I felt for him. His armor was too powerful, and this man was a maniac. It was their end, and it would be my end if they died. I couldn't bear seeing it. I couldn't bear doing it.

"You've run out of ground!"

"But not out of fight!" the boy spat as he stood at the edge of the volcano again. I wanted to cry and scream with all the air I could muster, but I had no voice. I had no lungs and no control. I wanted to know why this was happening. Why did everything I see seem to contradict? I knew this was the same person as in the last couple dreams, but this dream was so different.

"You think your power is enough to defeat me!"

Yes! Yes! I cried out, and I hoped the boy understood.

"Let's go, metal-head!"

"First thing's first!" The warlord let them both go. I watched them fall down into the pit. They tumbled down, and the red armored boy went after them. No! They were all gone! This couldn't have happened. Why did I do this? What had I done to deserve to see these horrors?

Then, I saw him fly out of the volcano, but without his armor. The boy landed, and he dropped the two on the ground. Anubis moved fast, and he ensnared him by the neck with his chain. Flying through the air, and without his helmet, I could see the red armor boy's face.

"I've got you now, you pathetic little boy," Anubis growled as he flung the armor less boy at his feet. I looked down into his face then.

And I knew him. I knew I had recognized him, but in these moments of torture, I knew the boy.

Sanada Ryo. The boy I'd healed, and my secret friend and crush. The irony was too powerful, but I didn't flush with embarasement. Instead, I kept watching it all through Anubis's eyes.

"You will have to give up, now. Without your armor, you're pitifully weak," Anubis declared, and I knew it was true. I felt panic rising in my gut because I didn't want to be responsible for Ryo's death.

"Armor of Wildfire . . ."

"It won't be that easy to reclaim your armor," Anubis said as he threw his chain around Ryo and yanked him down to the ground once again. Ryo struggled, but I could feel this Anubis's power, and my hope sank. Worse than watching the boy or girl die would be watching Ryo die.

"You disgust me," Anubis spat as he smashed Ryo's head into the ground with his food. All I had left in my heart and mind were tears. "Without your armor, you're pitifully weak. Without your armor, I've got you right where I want you."

The boy and the woman begged for Ryo's life, and my silent pleas blended with their loud screams. I didn't want to see Ryo die, either, but now, I felt that was what was going to happen. I would watch my hands take his life, and I could do nothing as Anubis swung him around over my head.

"He has nothing left. The Dynasty takes another victory. Now there will be no stopping Master Talpa's plan for the world! Even Ryo the Wildfire can't stand the volcano's heat without his armor! Watch!"

I shrieked, but nothing came out of my mouth. Ryo hurtled down into the volcano, and I was shouting with the woman and child, but then, Ryo managed to make a move. "If I'm going down ugly, you're going with me!"

I would die. And I was thankful because I couldn't live in trapped inside someone else. I would rather die than watch Ryo die.

"You're a fool, boy!" Anubis screamed while Ryo clung to me.

"Hot enough for you, big guy?" Ryo quipped as we kept descending. Yes, it was really hot, and I could only imagine the heat when we would hit the lava.

"You will die, too," Anubis spat. No. Ryo couldn't die. I felt the tears, but I only imagined them welling up in the corners of my eyes. No, there were no tears in this Warlord's eyes.

"Sorry, that's not the plan, Anubis."

I knew he lived. I gasped, and this time, I pulled in air, and it was cool and refreshing to my lungs.

Ariel was pulling at my arm. "N'deki, you fell off the chair."

"It was another dream," I muttered, and I felt Ariel's thin hand tighten upon my shoulders. I stared across the carpet, which was a field of white cotton that I rested my head upon. I couldn't move yet because if I moved, I would be in control of myself again, and I wasn't sure if I had that strength.

"N'deki . . ."

"Ariel," I muttered, "don't move me yet, okay?" Her grip eased on my shoulders, and I knew, if I asked the question, I would get an answer I didn't like.

"Ariel, who did this to you?" I asked, my voice even and soft, but I didn't have to repeat the question.

"I . . . I mean, N'deki, is it in your dreams?" she stammered.

"I think it might be."

"Gods, no," she muttered and then, after a pause, and in a more controlled voiced, she asked, "What did you see?"

"Armors, fighting, and lots of war, and I don't understand what I'm seeing," I told her in the meek voice I could force out of my throat. I stared off into space at the individual fibers of the carpet, and I heard Ariel sigh.

"That's how it happened," Ariel said evenly. "We, all of us in Tokyo, were attacked by a demon and taken prisoner."

"What was the demon's name?" I asked, afraid I would know it, yet, I felt now that I hadn't seen it through a demon's eyes. Yet, there was no accounting for that last dream which was filled with violence. I didn't understand how I had seen these two people, Ryo and Anubis, fighting with each other and then against each other. What happened?

Ariel hesitated for a long time, and I wondered if she would answer. "Could you write it?" I asked her.

"No, somehow, that makes it even worse," Ariel sighed. "Talpa."

I knew the name, and a chill swept down my spine. I pushed myself up from the carpet, and I knew I had seen this demon in my dreams. He had been the giant, I felt, but I didn't know why I so instinctively matched him with the giant. It was illogical how I kept placing everything together. Why did I feel I knew these things? I had no idea what I was thinking.

"Ariel, I think I've seen this demon fighting someone," I told Ariel, but I kept the secret of how I had seen Ryo. Also, I didn't feel like being totally honest at this moment how I'd seen everything through Anubis's eyes.

"But you don't remember getting captured," Ariel stated, and I just shook my head in response. Ariel sighed as she pulled her knees to her chest. "I was told everyone would forget, but I thought you might remember."

"So all my dreams are real?" I asked, but I wasn't really surprised about this. I knew, in that ridiculous, illogical way, that the dreams were all real. I knew they had happened, and I felt instinctively that the people I'd seen had lived. Well, Ryo was still living.

"If you're dreaming about the demon and the war he caused, then yes, they're real," Ariel replied evenly. "I wasn't allowed to come back to the mortal realm. I had to stay in that realm because of this," Ariel said and gestured to her figure. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes and no," I replied softly. I felt tears fill my eyes, though, because some part of me knew. "I was captured, too, but I came back."

Ariel scooted over to me and wrapped her skinny arms around me. I returned her hug, and tears swelled in my eyes and fell upon her shoulders. Gods, I had been the giant's prisoner, and he did this to Ariel. I couldn't remember, but the pain flowed up from inside of me. Somewhere inside, my spirit knew the torture that had been done, and I wept upon Ariel's shoulder. I cried for myself, for Ariel, and for this world, but I didn't completely understand why I did. But most importantly, I cried for my sanity restored.

That night (two nights after the party and the full moon):

(N'deki)

I was in the dream, even though I spent the rest of the day fighting sleep. I had been too exhausted, finally, and I let sleep take me. Ariel was close, and I knew I would wake, but instantly, this dream had a different feel than the other ones did. This dream reminded me of the initial one I had kneeling in the sand. The dream about this lake had happened when I had fallen asleep while healing, and I wondered if this dream meant I was to be healed from the horror of the other visions. I was by that lake again, and I was walking forward, looking for someone.

I noticed one thing immediately. The weight of the armor wasn't on me. Where was the armor? I didn't know, but I knew I hadn't left me completely. I was confused, but there was a sense of relaxation in my mind. Maybe there wasn't going to be a fight this time. Would I get any answers? Each dream kept confusing me more and more.

I walked up the hill, and I heard Ryo ask, "Is that the Ancient?"

I had heard that name before, but I didn't think I was suddenly seeing these visions through someone else's eyes. No, I felt that I was still looking at these dreams through Anubis's eyes. Why had he taken off his armor?

"Check it out, he's alive," a boy with blue hair shouted. He stood with Ryo, the woman, and the child I had seen before in the other dreams. As I walked, I heard clanging, too, and it sounded like it was coming from above my head. I felt I was holding something in my hand, but I couldn't get a good look at it because Anubis's head was slightly bent down. I could mostly see the ground, but I could see Ryo, the tall blue hair boy, the woman, and the child by a red jeep, too.

"It's him! Yeah! You'll help us, won't you?" the boy shrieked as he ran towards me. It looked like they were packing to go some where, but I had no idea what was going on again. I was glad that the boy looked happy this time, but I was lost. Who did they think this Anubis was now?

Then, I reached up and removed a hat of some type from my head. The boy gasped as he looked up into my face. Yes, he most definitely remembered the person who had almost killed him at the volcano. "It can't be," the woman gasped as she stepped out of the driver's side of the jeep.

"Ryo of the Wildfire, it's been a long time," Anubis said. Were they on the same side now? What did he mean? I didn't understand, but I kept myself calm, hoping to finally figure follow these dreams to the center of the labyrinth.

"Anubis, you're alive?" Ryo gaped as he looked at me. Why did they think I was dead? Did I die in the volcano? Ryo was simply shocked, so I couldn't say if he was excited or not.

But before anything else was said, the dream faded, and I felt cheated out of seeing what was to come. However, I realized that I had never had two dreams consecutively before now, and something about that made me apprehensive. Was I getting more clarvoyiant? Would I finally figure out what I was supposed to know?

I was sitting at the edge of the lake in Wisteria Park. Why was I back here? Then, again, I had been to Wisteria Park before and seen something. Yes, it was the same scene, I realized, and I knew I had stepped into this too real dream again. As I sat there, I also realized that Anubis was wearing his armor again.

I righted myself, but of course, it wasn't N'deki that moved. It was this Anubis who propped himself up upon a grassy knoll. It was night, but it had been dark before when I had slipped into the dream in Wisteria Park, and I realized being in that spot in the park might have triggered the vision in the day time.

But I had no time to think because someone spoke. "Anubis, open your heart and listen carefully to what I have to say. Anubis, Talpa cares nothing about you at all, does he?"

You're right, I wanted to say. That demon cared for nothing but power and for torturing others. Then, Anubis tilted his head up, and I recognized the rice farmer monk from my vision in Wisteria Park. Oh, who was this man? I needed to know because he was important, and I couldn't take my eyes off that lovely staff he carried. Is that what Anubis had been carrying in my vision just before now? They had thought he was the Ancient.

"Yes, perhaps you are right, but Talpa controls my life," Anubis told the farmer monk. I wanted to shout no again, but it would do no good. Instead, I opened my mind to take in everything that was being said. If I was to be in this dream, and this particular part of the dream looked tame, I would learn what I could.

"_Your_ _life_," the farmer monk said with a note of irony in his voice. "I think what's most important to him right now is that armor you're wearing."

Anubis gasped, but internally, I nodded. Yes, the armor was important. I had seen the power of the armors in these visions. I knew very little about them except that Ariel had said they were used in the war with Talpa. The armor bears had fought the war with Talpa, and this Anubis was most definitely one of them, but I couldn't figure out if he was a friend or an enemy to the other people in these dreams.

"He never cared about your life. It's only the armor he desires," the farmer monk continued to tell Anubis.

"My armor and the other armors, what do you know about them?" Anubis asked, and I wanted to know just as badly as he did. What did this man know about the armors?

"The armors, all of them, are split from one spirit. There is jin, rei, shin, chi, and gi," the farmer monk told us.

"They're made of human emotions!" Anubis gasped, but I knew this was correct. I felt my spirit well up inside me, and I wanted to tell the farmer monk thank you. I didn't know for what exactly, but I felt grateful to him.

"Look at the light, Anubis!"

The monk gave a command, and Anubis couldn't help but to stare. I, too, just looked dumbly up at the sparkling staff in his hand. If I could have, I would have cried because it was that lovely. For a moment, I thought the light would set me free from my dream, but it was not to be yet.

Then, Anubis stood up, and I felt a warm spot on my forehead. What was it? I knew Anubis felt it, too, and as we approached the lake, I finally saw what I needed to see. I looked into his eyes and his face, which revealed to me the person I had seen all these dreams through. I looked at the wonder and the confusion in his face, and for once, I knew we felt the same way.

"_Chu_," Anubis muttered, and indeed, there was a glowing kanji on my forehead. Loyalty, it said, and I wondered to whom Anubis was loyal. Was he loyal to Ryo? Was he loyal to only himself? Was he loyal to the demon, Talpa?

"What you see is the soul of your armor. Your soul is loyalty. This means you do what your master asks of you without question. But you have the right to choose your own master," the farmer monk told us.

"Talpa was with me when I first became aware of my armor," Anubis muttered, and I realized he had served the demon. Did he serve him now? No, I felt that wasn't the right answer. I knew it was wrong, and suddenly, the contradictions in my dreams made sense. I had seen it through one person's eyes, but this person hadn't always been on the same side.

"You have been enchanted with Talpa's evil force. The five armor of the Ronins, and your armor, along with the armor of the other dark Warlords, all began as one."

"Is this true, Ancient? Tell me," Anubis begged, but I knew it was true. The Ancient, this man, spoke the truth, and my soul accepted it.

"Look inside, Anubis, you're the one who can feel it. If you live according to the true spirit of the armor, it will guard you and be faithful to you. Anubis, open your heart and be transformed by what you find there. This is your path. Make it a journey."

He had spoken to me. I gasped and pulled my hand to my chest, and it wasn't Anubis who moved. It was me, N'deki. I had seen what I needed to see in these dreams, but I moved on my own now, and the Ancient was looking at me. Then, before I said another word, I turned and looked back into the lake. It was no longer Anubis's reflection I saw. It was my own face that stared back at me now. Upon my forehead, too, burned the kanji of loyalty.

"Ancient, but why me?" I asked him softly. "The spirit of the armor has called me, but why?"

"There is evil yet," he told me. I looked over at him, and even though I could not see his face, I knew he could find mine. "The spirit of your armor will guide you, N'deki. Your spirit is strong, and if you listen to it, you will not fall."

"To whom am I to be loyal?" I asked timidly. "I don't have a master."

"Open your heart and mind," he told me in that even, melodic voice. "You must be loyal to the spirit of the armor, but you must also be loyal to yourself and those you love."

"Ancient, help me," I begged him.

"You already have help," he told me, and I knew he would tell me no more. I knew who he meant, though. I knew about Ryo, and I had Ariel with me, too, and I knew the spirit of the armor had been helping me long before now, and it would show me the truth. Indeed, I knew I was not alone, and I felt the comfort of the warm, pulsing kanji on my head. I shared my virtue with others, and it would protect me if I stayed true to it. I felt a pulsing in my palm, and I opened it to see a pulsing orb with _chu_ upon it.

"Loyalty," I whispered. I felt the orb's pulsing, but this time, it was real. I sat up in my sleeping bag, and in my hand, lay the orb. I was still on my bedroom floor, and it was that time of morning where the sky was gray before the sun rose. I could still feel the glow on my forehead, and I knew the armor was with me now. It wasn't just Anubis's destiny or the armor bearer's destiny that the Ancient had told me. He told me my destiny.

"Ariel, _wake_ _up_," I told her, but my voice barely rose above a whisper. So, I called her name again as I remained frozen on the floor.

"What?" Ariel asked.

"You know when you said I had extraordinary powers? Well, you were right and then some," I told her as I turned towards the bed and held up the orb. I heard her gasp, and the little light coming from the orb illuminated her face. Her head was cocked to one side as she studied me.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's an armor of power," I told her. "You told me about them. I was channeling the spirit of the armor. It was teaching me about it because it was getting ready to come to me."

"That's . . . _incredible_," Ariel muttered. I rose to my feet and looked down at the orb.

I stared down at my palm and wrapped my finger around the orb. "I'm going to wear it."

"N'deki, are you sure?" Ariel asked me. She rose from the bed and came over to me. "The armor will give you so much power. Will you know what to do with it?"

"The spirit of the armor will guide me," I whispered as I clutched the orb firmly in my palm. I closed my eyes and called. _Chu_. Loyalty. I felt the glow flood over my body and spirit. After a moment, the power subsided, and I cautiously stretched from my finger tips to my toes. I felt something on my body, but it wasn't the full weight of the armor.

I opened my eyes, and Ariel stared silently back at me. "Are you okay?" she asked. I nodded and turned to look at myself in the mirror. I gasped because, for once, it was my own face wearing that armor. Well, maybe it wasn't the armor, I thought, because it didn't feel that heavy, but the grey and slate blue metal, covering every part of my body but my face and neck, was definitely part of the armor.

"Well, I think I'm okay," I muttered as I walked closer to the mirror to look at myself. The kanji was still visible on my forehead, but it looked like it was becoming fainter. Yet, despite the armor, I still looked fairly the same. I hadn't grown any taller, my hair color hadn't changed, and I still had the same pasty skin color as usual.

"What does this mean?" Ariel asked. I shrugged.

"You tell me," I muttered.

"Well . . ." Ariel replied, and I turned to face her. She had her head bent down, now, and suddenly I realized that Ariel might be able to tell me something about the armors.

"Ariel, what do you know?" I whispered.

"I knew of three armors, although I heard there were more of them," she began and looked up at me again. "I've never seen that sub-armor, as I heard it was called."

"A sub-armor? So, this isn't the real armor," I said more to myself than to Ariel. So, I had been right, but then, how did I get the real armor?

"No, the real armors are much . . . bigger. They're more powerful." Ariel finished speaking, and I only nodded. I suppose, in her capture and her release, she had learned about the armors. I nodded towards her, hoping she could tell me more.

"I heard, in my dreams, that there were Ronin armors and Warlord armors. They had virtues, and I heard five more listed," I told Ariel. She nodded, and I hoped she would say more about the armors. I waited, and then, Ariel started to speak.

"Well, I knew of three Warlord armors," she confessed, "but I've never seen that armor you're wearing. N'deki, who exactly did you see in these dreams?"

"I didn't know a couple of the people," I confessed, "but I saw the demon, the Ancient, Sanada Ryo, and Kayura."

"I met Kayura," Ariel told me, "but I never heard of a Ryo. I've seen what they call the Ancient's staff, but I know little about the Ancient except that Kayura follows his ways because she's part of his clan."

"Oh," I muttered. "Well, I know who Ryo is, but I want to tell you another name, too. Do you know who Anubis is? He bore this armor."

"Well, I've heard the name, but I only know that he is dead," Ariel said with a shrug.

"Dead?" I gasped. I felt like everyone in my dreams had lived, but this Anubis had died. So, maybe the feeling that I was constantly going to die wasn't that far from the truth, after all. "Are you sure?"

"I was in a dungeon almost the entire war, N'deki. I saw very little, and most of what I knew I learned after the war from others where we lived. I knew there were three armor bearers there, though, and I knew they had once followed Talpa," Ariel said. I frowned, wishing she could tell me more.

"Really? This Anubis switched sides, too," I told Ariel. "So, if he's dead, does this mean that the armor chose me?"

"It looks that way," Ariel muttered as I simply stood in front of the mirror. "N'deki, I don't have anything to tell you. I'm not an armor bearer. I think you probably already know more than I do."

I sighed as I studied my face. I placed the cold metal against my warm skin, and the sensation of having the armor between the skin of my hand and the skin on my face was odd. I finally pulled myself away from the mirror to sit on my bed. I patted the comforter beside me for Ariel to sit down. She hesitated, but after a moment, Ariel came over and sat beside me. We looked at each other, and finally, Ariel patted my shoulder.

"What am I supposed to do _now_?" I whispered.

"I don't know, N'deki, but I have to confess something to you," Ariel muttered, and she kept her hand on my shoulder. "I came here when my refuge in the Netherworld was attacked. I came here at the order of one of the other armor bearers, N'deki. They were attacked, but I escaped, and I landed in your room, as it seemed at the time, coincidently."

"Oh, well, I have to confess something to you, too," I whispered, but I was surprised about what Ariel had said, though. "I saw all these dreams through Anubis's eyes. I couldn't hear his thoughts or feel his emotions, but I could physically feel everything he felt. It was his spirit, and the spirit of the armor, that I was channeling."

"Well, I guess we both kept secrets," Ariel said, but she only shrugged. I frowned slightly, but Ariel only cocked her head. "Don't be upset at that, N'deki. I didn't know if I should tell you things you were supposed to forget, but I take it that doesn't matter now."

"No, it doesn't, but Ariel, if I have the armor, what does that mean?" I asked her.

"It means that you're supposed to have it," was all she could say. I sighed and shook my head.

"No, Ariel, in my dreams, I was told there is still evil. Does it mean that I'm supposed to fight it? Is it coming for us again?"

A/N: Cliff hanger! So, Kayura and Cye's plot got put on hold, but not for long. This chapter ends at the morning Kayura is supposed to come back, so wait and see what happens. The next chapter is almost written, and it's called 'Dao Chu.' So, thanks for reading and reviewing, MorganRay.

GS: Kayura's secret is coming. I have to wait to launch it, though. Cye has another month before he changes again, but his problem is going to come up before then. Yes, the woman who Cye keeps seeing in his dreams is going to confront him. As you might have guessed, she's not very nice, but who she goes after next might be a surprise.


	24. Dao Chu

**Dao Chu**

(Kayura)

The sun had risen, and I knocked on the door of the manor. It as two mornings after I left, and I told them I would return now. Fortunately, I had been able to come back in time. The bag with the scrolls had been a weight I was keenly aware of since I had shouldered this strange treasure that I had paid for so dearly. As the sun glinted off the windows, there seemed to be no life anywhere in the house, but I called, "It's Kayura! Open the door! Something is wrong!"

There was no sound, and White Blaze bound around the perimeter of the house. The tiger growled, and the noise echoed across the entire property. I kept knocking. "Seiji! Cye! Ryo! Rowen! Kento! There is trouble!"

Still, there was not a single sound from inside the manor. A cold shiver shot down my spine as fear birthed anew in my mind. Was I too late to save them, too? Then, the staff began to clang.

"White Blaze! Hurry! We may be too late!"

(N'deki)

Sun streamed through the curtains as I walked into my kitchen, and the daylight was comforting. Maybe it's always like that if you feel you've lived through a crazy, strange night. I pulled a box of cereal from the cupboard, but I wasn't really hungry. Neither of us were able to go back to sleep, but I didn't really think either of us wanted to eat, either. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, but I hadn't taken off my sub armor because I wasn't entirely sure how I would remove it. Also, part of me wanted to keep the armor until I knew what to do. It was a security blanket, even though it was a strange, of some type for me.

No sooner had I grabbed two bowls than there was a crash upstairs. Ariel shrieked, and I looked through the open doorway going from the kitchen to the living room. Charging down the stairs was a bear like animal with a cloaked figure on its back. I couldn't see the creature's face, but there was a pair of black haired and clawed hands sticking out from under that cloak. On the back of its' hands the creature had leather padding, and it controlled the bear creature with a bridel and bit. I was thankful I couldn't see any more of the creature.

Then, after the first creature, came a second creature of the same make. I gasped. They were in my house!

"Run! They're after you!"

Ariel's shriek broke my trance, and I went to spring for the door. Ariel darted in the way of one of the bear creatures. She was going to get killed! I turned, before I could really think about it, and slammed my fist into the creature's face. The bear howled, and I pulled Ariel with me out of my house.

"Go!" she screamed, and her voice now sounded more bird than woman.

"Come with me!" I yelled as I began to sprint away from my house. I had no idea where to head, but when I saw some of the creatures to my right, I turned left. Ariel launched herself into the air and flew about two stories above my head. As I ran, I looked up to watch her, and I followed her as she swerved between buildings.

As I kept running, instead of getting weaker, I felt a surge of energy in my body. Was it my armor? Yes, my armor was powering me to keep sprinting down the streets and through the alleys. I had no idea where Ariel was going, though, but we were in a more industrial part of Tokyo, now. I was glad she had left the suburbs. We weren't in a very populated part of Tokyo, either, and it was a shadier neighborhood. I was glad of it because there would be fewer people to really notice what was happening.

I peered behind me when I heard a growl. One of the bear creatures, with its cloaked rider, was gaining on me! I gasped and increased my pace. I heard it roar again. It sounded closer, and I turned to see it had been joined by two more riders!

I looked forward and realized it was a dead end street! At the end, there was a two story building. I looked up and saw a streak of purple shoot over my head. I heard the bear creature yell. I spun around and raced to get Ariel. With more strength than I thought I had, I kicked the bear creature, which Ariel was grappling with, in the eye.

The beast howled, and I lashed out at whatever thing came near me. I kept my eyes on Ariel, and when I got the chance, I pulled her away. "Get on the roof!" she yelled before taking off into the air again.

I had time. The bear creatures and their riders were recovering, and there were no more creatures coming at the moment. I got a running start. As I approached the building, I closed my eyes. _Armor_! _Let me leap_!

I launched myself up. I opened my eyes once I was in the air. I kept going, past the first floor! I leaned forward, and in seconds, I had landed on the roof. "What a rush," I muttered to myself as I stood up. There was a growl, and I realized they were still following me. I began running again. I followed Ariel as she darted above my head.

_Thunkthunkthunkthunkthunkthunk_

I listened to the rhythm of my feet as I pounded across the cement roof tops. I heard a growl, and I glanced to my right. A creature and rider kept pace with me on another roof! I couldn't believe they were still following me! I felt exhausted, but they kept coming.

I heard panting behind me. Hard, slapping footfalls followed me. I didn't look back. I looked up at Ariel, who glanced down to see if I still followed her.

I came to a gap, and a warehouse rose up before me. I leapt into the air again and landed on the metal roof.

_Clankclankclankclankclank_

I listened to the clanging of metal on metal as I raced across the massive building's roof.

_Clankthumpthumpclankthumpthump_

The bear and rider followed me! I gasped and kept sprinting, but I was tiring. I felt weaker, and I knew my body would give out sometime if we didn't completely loose them. I saw Ariel drop down beside me.

"Keep going! There are about six on the roofs, and there's more below!" she shouted. _More_! How many? My stomach turned. They laid a trap for me. Ariel rose up in the air again. I followed her with my eyes.

Two dark shapes darted down towards her. She couldn't escape. They were so fast! I heard her shriek as they wrestled in the air. I took a running start. _Armor! Don't fail me now!_

I catapulted myself into the air. Ariel couldn't be farther than I had jumped before to get on the rooftop. I was more exhausted now, though, and it took so much effort. I reached out and grabbed a hold of at least one of the creatures. With my other hand, I yanked at the other creature's neck. I was dead weight to them and pulled them down. As they turned to get me off, they slipped their hold on Ariel.

I reached up and smashed my fist into the one wing. The creature howled, and it began to fall. I kept my hold on the other one's neck. Then, as we dropped, I let go of them both. I smashed at them while we were in free fall. I watched as they dropped below me.

I was going to go through a skylight! The creatures hit first. The glass shattered around me. I was going to hit the concrete!

There was a jerk on my arm. I stopped falling and was pulled upwards. For a moment, I thought I was flying on my own. Then, I looked up and saw Ariel's talons wrapped around my arm. She flew a little ways, and then, dropped down below a pile of boxes. She leaned forward and panted while I gulped down as much air as my lungs would hold.

"Thank you," I whispered hoarsely because I was still catching my breath.

"Put on your armor," Ariel wheezed.

"_I don't know how!"_

"Figure it out! We aren't going to last much longer. There's too many." As Ariel spoke, there was a loud grinding sound of metal being torn open. The sound sent a wave of fear through me and made my stomach lurch, but before I could react, Ariel had grabbed my arm again. She lifted me back through the broken skylight. I looked down at the mangled bodies of the two ugly creatures that had attacked us. They could have been me.

She dropped me back on the rooftop of the warehouse. There was a clang as my armored feet landed on the metal. I heard a growl and bolted forward. To my right, I saw another pair of creatures! And then, while I was down in the warehouse, more of the creatures had gathered on this roof. They ran at me from all directions. I leapt into the air once again. Ariel caught me and flew me over them.

One of the dark winged creatures slammed into us. I screamed as Ariel let go of me. I landed, but thankfully Ariel had started to fly closer to the ground because of my weight. I looked around and realized I had fallen in the middle of a parking lot. To be fair, it was a vacant construction site and a parking lot together. The effect was that we had been stranded in the middle of an enormous, open space.

Ariel shrieked like a falcon. I looked up and saw her being attacked by a swarm of those flying creatures. "Ariel!" I screamed. I heard growling, and I looked over towards the warehouse again. The bear creatures were coming from there, too. We were surrounded. There was no place to run or to hide.

'_If you live according to the true spirit of the armor, it will guard you and be faithful to you.'_

_Loyalty_. It was my spirit. I felt the warm sensation upon my forehead. It wasn't something being impressed upon me, though. I had the power in me to summon the armor. It had chosen me.

"Chu," I whispered as I looked away from the hordes of monsters. I stared up at Ariel's screeching figure.

"_Dao Chu_!"

It wasn't a loud shout, but those words were right. I felt strength course through and around me. The tingling, on my forehead, spread everywhere in my body. And then, the surging power I felt materialized. The weight was correct, and I realized I wore the armor I had worn in almost all of the dreams.

Now, it was my armor. It was the same, but something about it felt different. The weight on my shoulders felt similar, only more real and heavy to me. However, the sensation of wearing a metal helmet and facemask threw me for a moment. However, the facemask parted, and when it did, I looked up to see Ariel.

Now what to do? I looked down at the weight that was in my hands. It was the kusari-gama, but I realized that this time, I would have to use it. I held the sickle in my left hand, and in my right, I began to swing the weighted end above my head.

The bear creatures were close. I had little time. My body was shaking. I gazed up at the swirl of black flesh and the darting streak of purple in it. I didn't think that I could do this, but I had seen what to do. I swung the weighted end of the kusari-gama into the ground. "Quake with Fear!"

It wasn't a good attack, and immediately, I knew it didn't hold the power that Anubis's attack had held when I saw him do it. I watched as several chains shot up, and they ensnared the struggling creatures in the air. "N'deki!" Ariel screamed, and I realized I had trapped her in my attack, too!

"No!" I cried, but the chains were already being broken by the other creatures. I watched as Ariel tumbled free from the chains, too, and plummeted to earth. I screamed and ran towards her. The growling was close. I turned to see a huge bear creature and its rider ready to pounce on me.

"NO!" I yelled as I raised the sickle in front of my face. I knew I was too slow.

Then, the creature roared and reared on its back legs like a horse would to dismount a rider. The rider, too, fell off, but I saw a golden arrow pierce it before it fell. I gasped, and I looked over in the direction of the attack. I saw a man, wearing dark blue armor, shooting arrows at my attackers.

I recovered, and heading in the direction of Ariel, I began to whack at the faces of the creatures with the weighted end of my kusari-gama. I didn't hit them sometimes, and I felt my strength almost gone, but Ariel was hurt. I had to get her out of this chaos.

"Hey!" the other warrior shouted, and I turned towards him. He had made his way over to me and stood several paces from my back. I thought it was the blue hair man from my dream, and I suddenly realized I had seen him in real life, too.

"Help Ariel," I pleaded with him. He didn't wear a metal facemask, either, and I watched a frown descend on his face.

"You're most definitely not Kayura," he muttered, but before either of us could speak, a wind began to pick up. I looked up and saw what looked like dragons, if they had breed with sharks, flying in the sky. The coloring of the animals reminded me of a shark, but these things had huge wings and were creating the massive wind. Flying with them were the black creatures that had attacked Ariel.

The other warrior pulled out his bow and began to shoot at them, but a single hit wasn't bringing them down. I stood there, and I began to swing the weighted end of my kusari-gama. I gripped the sickle with white knuckles as I looked around at the strange, swirling tornado they were creating around the two of us.

I didn't attack. The attack I saw in my dreams hadn't been right, although it had worked well enough. I stared dumbly as the shapes of the creatures blurred into a gray column. What was happening? Why didn't I know what to do?

I saw a streak of red in the funnel. I shrieked and raised the sickle in front of my face. I felt the brunt of the blow strike my weapon. I screamed, and amidst my yells of pain and terror, I heard tinkling, girlish laughter.

I turned to the other warrior, but he was frozen. "Come on! Help me!" I hollered, but he didn't budge. I screamed in panic as I caught another attack out of the corner of my eye. This one I caught with my spinning chain, but it racked my body, and then sapped me of all my strength.

With a cry, I fell down on my hands and knees. "Help us! Ancient, help us!" I shrieked, and I could barely hear my voice above the swirling wind. I screamed again, and I saw the face of Ariel flash in my mind. We were both going to die! And this time, it was real. I couldn't save her!

"_Silly Oni_," I heard the giggling girl tell me. I wanted to cry, but I was frozen like in the dreams. This time, it was more terrible. I was trapped in my own body! I tried to scream and cry, but nothing happened. She had frozen us both.

_Clang_

_Clangclangclang_

It was the Ancient's staff. I felt the magic. I could tense my muscles, and I let out a gasping cry. I couldn't hear the whirl wind over the ringing of the staff.

"Flare Up Now!"

I turned towards the attack. I screamed as a column of fire shot towards me! However, it was deflected by a shimmering, gold force field, and it rose up along the dome the golden shield formed over me and the other warrior. I heard the crackling of the fire as it burned the creatures, and I heard them roaring in agony as they burned.

Then, the fire fizzled away, and the staff stopped ringing. The magic barrier dissolved, and I fell on my face. I stared down at the dirt and cracked cement. I just lay there, unable to move, because the spell and the fight had sapped my strength. I listened to myself breathe.

I felt hands grab my shoulders and roll me over on my back. I stared up into the face of the blue warrior. He frowned, and I knew that he had seen me before, too, but we couldn't remember each other's names. Then, Kayura entered into my field of vision. I gasped as I looked up into her face. She was real, as I knew she always had been.

"So, Kayura, why is this girl wearing your armor?" the blue hair warrior asked. Kayura only stared down at me, and I could see the wonder in her eyes. "You know her?"

"I do not," Kayura whispered.

I heard other footsteps, and Ryo's helmeted face appeared over Kayura's shoulder. "N'deki," he muttered as he jaw fell open. I nodded as I looked back up at him, in real life, fully clad in his Wildfire armor.

"The healing girl?" the other warrior said as he turned to look up at Ryo. Then, he turned towards Kayura again. "What's happening?"

"We have to go," Kayura whispered, but she kept looking down at me. "We will talk at the manor."

"Ariel!" I yelled as I realized that we were leaving. I couldn't leave her behind! I sprang up on my feet quicker than I thought possible. I winced from the aching in every fiber of my being. I'd never felt such pain!

I heard a growl. I looked at the tiger, who was heading towards the edge of the parking lot. I saw a mass of purple, and I broke into a sprint. I heard shouting, but I had a head start on the other three. I would reach Ariel first.

I found her, laying on her side, with one wing in an odd position. The tiger was sitting beside her, but I ignored him. I dropped my weapon and stretched out both of my hands. I broke the barrier in my mind to unleash my healing powers. I pressed my palms against Ariel and let my power flood into her.

Maybe it was the severity of her wounds that kept my power surging into her. Maybe my armor was amplifying my healing powers, too. Maybe, in my weakened state, I just needed to give everything I had to heal Ariel. Maybe it was all of them, but whatever it was, I kept pumping my strength into her.

Then my heart stopped. I stared into space as my power stopped with it. My hands came free of her as I tottered on my knees before I fell on my back. I stared up at the sky as I fell into darkness.

A/N: Another cliff hanger, I know. I wanted to give this chapter the frantic feel that a battle should have, so if there is less description, I'm sorry. I tried to focus on how events were unfolding to N'deki's eyes, and when you're under stress and pumping with adrenaline, you tend to notice less. I've also decided to go with the Japanese names of the armors. I feel they fit with the descriptions and how I need the armors to be described in this story. Also, I'm using all the Japanese virtues. The reason for the confusion with the switching between Japanese/American names is because 1) I watched the American version first, so some of that will always be ingrained in me (like the armor names/character names) and 2) after watching the Japanese version, I can't let go of some of the terms because I love them too much, and they make more sense. So, forgive me for the American names/Ronin armor names and the Japanese virtues/warlord armor names.

I've got the next two chapters completely done, and I even have them titled! The next one is 'Revelation' and then, 'The Ladies of War.' So, look forward to those while you contemplate N'deki's fate.

G/S: And you thought the last chapter was torture!

Thanks, and until next time, MorganRay


	25. Revelation

**Revelation**

(Rowen)

"Ariel!"

She was running before I knew what happened. Kayura sprinted after N'deki while Ryo and I took the hint and followed. I knew no one named Ariel, but I saw White Blaze in the direction Kayura ran. When we reached her, Kayura called, "What are you doing?"

Then, when I was probably only seconds from her, N'deki tottered on her knees before she fell to the ground. Kayura let out a wail as she approached the unconscious girl. On the ground was a purple harpy, and this was presumably what N'deki had been kneeling over, although I had no idea why. The creature was panting and gasping when we reached it and N'deki.

"Kayura! Her heart stopped! I felt it stop when she healed me!" the creature screamed in a hoarse voice, and I wondered why N'deki had wanted to save this thing. Instinctively, I grabbed an arrow, but I didn't move to fire it.

Kayura didn't ask questions or hesitate. She dropped to her knees and placed the staff on N'deki's chest. The girl, still clad in the Oni armor, didn't move as Kayura pressed both of her hands on the staff. Immediately, it began to glow, but for a moment, N'deki didn't respond. Then, she took a gasping breath, and the blue tint left her lips as her eyes opened and flickered before they shut again. Her last gaze looked peaceful, and when she went unconscious, the Oni armor dissolved and left her in the sub armor.

"What a close call," Ryo muttered, and I deftly nodded as Kayura pulled the staff away from N'deki.

I stepped away from Ryo to look down at the girl's face. She was definitely the girl I had seen when we went to visit Cye. "Kayura, you have some explaining to do."

"Rowen, I know, but we have to leave before we draw more attention," Kayura said as she looked up at me while still holding N'deki with one arm. "Take her, Rowen. I will get us back to the manor."

I stashed my arrow away before I kneeled down and pulled the limp girl up into my arms. She was a petite thing, so she wasn't heavy in the least. Kayura then stood up and placed both hands on the staff. "Grab onto me," she instructed. Ryo, the harpy, and I didn't hesitate to each place both of our hands on Kayura. White Blaze came over and leaned his body against Kayura's legs before she raised the staff and slammed it into the earth.

The entire world seemed to shake, and for a moment, I had a feeling we were nowhere at all. Then, I blinked and realized we were standing on the gravel drive at about the time we would have left for school. However, it was summer break now, I reminded myself, so we wouldn't be going to school for a couple weeks. I stared around at the familiar surroundings, and I only removed my hands from Kayura when she moved away from us. I was the first one to follow her into the house, and I went into the living room and lay N'deki on the couch. The girl didn't stir, though, and when I heard the door shut, I took off my armor, as did Ryo.

"So, Kayura, what happened?" I asked her again. Instead of answering immediately, Kayura motioned us into the kitchen, but her gaze lingered on N'deki as she left the room. I eyed up the harpy creature as it followed her, and after the shape shifter, I had an inherent distrust of strange creatures.

However, when Kayura pulled up a seat at the kitchen table, the harpy, Ryo, and I did the same thing. Overall, it was an odd sight having two Ronin warriors, the Ancient's Heir, and a harpy sitting around our kitchen table.

"Ariel," Kayura began by turning to the harpy, "what happened?"

"We were attacked," she whispered, and I realized this harpy, Ariel, was the reason N'deki had gone spastic. I kept my eyes on the creature while she spoke.

"I know. Your attackers have them," Kayura whispered.

"Who has what?" Ryo asked.

"In a minute, I promise," Kayura told us. She turned back to Ariel and commanded, "Tell us what happened when you came into this world."

Therefore, she was from the Nether Realm. Well, that didn't exactly boost my trust in her, and the harpy seemed to sense my scrutinizing stare. She shifted in her chair and pulled her enormous, violet wings up to hide part of her chest, and only her huge silver beak and her head were completely visible.

"I flew through the portal and looked for cover. I crashed into N'deki's room by coincidence. I didn't know she was special, but when she healed my broken wing, I realized she had incredible healing powers. However, healing my wing took a lot out of her," Ariel noted as she looked over at Kayura. "She had all these dreams, Kayura. She said she was channeling a spirit, and she thought it was the spirit of the armor."

"Dreams?" Kayura asked.

"Yes, she had dreams about the armor, and in at least one, she saw . . . _Talpa_," Ariel whispered the name. Ryo and I locked glances. I knew we had killed Talpa, but I was itching to have N'deki awake so I could question her directly.

"Anyway, the armor came to her this morning, and we were attacked," Ariel continued. "We just ran. We raced through the city just trying to escape the attackers, but they caught us. N'deki summoned her armor, but her attack seemed off kilter. I can't really say, Kayura, because I went down early, so I don't know what happened between her attack and when you came to aid us."

"That will do," Kayura said, and now, Kayura focused her attention on us. Even though she appeared calm, Kayura's face had developed a drawn look, and she had purple bags under her eyes. "Now, I can answer what happened."

"I want to hear it," I told Kayura.

"According to Ariel, the Warlords were attacked," Kayura began. I leaned across the table, suddenly realizing this could be worse than Cye's little surprise. "Well, they gave up their armors."

"How do you know?" Ryo asked.

"I'll get to that," Kayura said and held up a hand. "Just be patient. Anyway, I had a dream, and it told me to venture to the valley of the Ancient's clan, which is where I grew up. In that valley, there is a cave at one end, an evil cave of sorts, and I was told to enter it. In the back of the cave, I found these.'

Kayura laid an interesting looking bag on the table, and when she opened it, I could see it was filled with scrolls. They looked older than the Ancient One's scrolls, and I wondered who had written those.

"I thought it was an evil cave," I pointed out as I continued to stare at the bag.

"Yes, but the staff protected me, and White Blaze helped me," Kayura said as she removed the scroll bag from the table, "but that's not the important part of this tale. When I left the cave, I saw . . . well, let me explain the eyes first."

"What?" Ryo and I asked at the same time.

"When the Ancient's clan still lived in our valley, before Talpa came and took me, the cave was used as a place to sentence the worst criminals to death. Essentially, it was death by starvation, and the Ancient had to pronounce that punishment himself. When I was a little girl, I saw a person sentenced to death in the cave.

"In our clan, we also had nine Elders, and those Elders effectively ruled the clan. However, the Ancient still governed on the utmost important issues, but it was the head Elder that really held a lot of the clan's governing power. In their lifetime, the Elder's took one apprentice, and when they died, that apprentice would fill their position. When I was little, the head Elder was preparing to choose his apprentice. There were many tests one had to pass, and Kikyo was the person many thought would get the apprenticeship.

"However, the Elder chose a boy named Akito to become his apprentice. I heard it said that Kikyo went to the boy in anger, and they fought. She said it was an accident, but the boy had fallen and smashed his head open on a rock. It was discovered that Kikyo did it, and she was brought to be punished. The Ancient sentenced her to die a cruel death by starvation in the cave.

"I was there, the day she had to go through the shaming ritual of walking into the cave, and the last time she got to pause to look back at everyone, I saw a pair of burning eyes appear over her head. Out of the shadows stepped a woman, and her very presence made everyone shudder. She held out her hand to Kikyo, and even though the Ancient told her to resist, Kikyo had no reason to listen to him. She took the woman's hand, but while she did, the woman fixed her evil gaze on me. Then, Kikyo and the woman disappeared as quietly as the woman had come."

"That's a tragic story, but what does that have to do with N'deki's armor?" I asked.

"You see, when I came out of the cave, I saw that same woman with Kikyo. Instead of being a girl, though, Kikyo is now a woman, as am I. They had the Warlords with them, and that is when I noticed the Warlords weren't wearing their armor."

"Wait, wait! The Warlords don't have their armor?" Ryo blurted out as he leaned half way across the table to Kayura. "You were serious about that? Does this woman have them?"

"The armors? No, she doesn't because the warlords, and myself, have given up our armors," Kayura finished her statement.

"_What_? Why? Kayura . . . _why_?" was all I could ask. Why would she give up her armor?

Now, Kayura's eyes misted slightly. "Because they would have died if I'd fought with my armor, Rowen! When they were attacked, the Warlords knew they couldn't beat this woman. In combat, I couldn't defeat her, so I let my armor go. The staff protected me from her power."

"Don't you have your twin jitte?" I implored Kayura. "You should have done _something_!"

"Rowen, I renounced by Star Swords because they were a symbol of Talpa's power over me." Kayura paused and stared down at the table. "Besides, Kikyo had my Star Swords. She decided it would be amusing to copy my armor, too."

"Wait, Kayura, aren't you supposed to be the last of the Ancient's clan?" I asked that clarifying question. However, Kayura only chuckled.

"Everyone seemed to think Kikyo dead, but her and that woman are alive and well, I assure you," Kayura muttered, and when she looked back up at us, her eyes pleaded with us for understanding. "The reason she imitated me, no doubt, was for the effect it would have. You see, Kikyo was my older sister."

(N'deki)

I was in the grocery store scanning a list Mi Sang had given me. I walked over to the produce section.

Was I dead? I didn't think so. I had passed out, I thought, but then, I had seen Kayura. Did that mean I was alive? Why was I running another errand for Mi Sang? Where was Ariel?

That is when the explosion happened. The glass in the windows shattered. I shrieked and dove on the ground. I heard more things shattering, and I covered my head. I wanted to reach for my armor orb, but I couldn't. I tried to move my hand, and then, I realized I couldn't.

As I lay cowering in the fetal position, I knew I was seeing the past again. I wasn't doing this now, but I had lived this scene. This dream was like the other dreams expect I was seeing the world through my own eyes again. However, I was sure I didn't have the armor because I would have used it already.

I heard more crashing noises. I didn't look up, but I didn't want to see what was happening. I felt an iron grip on my arm. I screamed, but I was jerked upright to stare into the faceless solider that had pulled me off the floor.

The soldier threw me into a mass of people. The crowd jostled me around, and I could barely find my footing. I tripped and stumbled, but amid all the chaos, I knew my mouth was moving.

"Mi Sang! Mi Sang!" I kept crying out my stepmother's name. I couldn't hear myself, and over the screams and yells of the throng of people, I knew no one else would hear me either.

I kept screaming as I was packed against strangers. I heard screaming and wailing, and I didn't know if I was crying or not. One thing I did know was that I was terrified. The other dreams had been horrible, but this one was worse than seeing the war through Anubis's eyes.

This had happened to me.

The soldiers hoarded everyone through a tall gate. As I was shoved along, I craned my neck upwards to see it. The gate was massive, and as I stepped through it, I knew why it fascinated me. Even though I didn't know my thoughts from when I was captured, I knew what I would have thought. That gate was a portal to another world, and as I was herded like a cow through it, I realized that it was still captivating.

The scene changed. I would have gasped if I could. Instead of being taken prisoner, I was strolling through downtown Tokyo. What I was doing, I wasn't sure myself. Was I shopping for Mi Sang again?

As I looked to my left, I saw five familiar figures. I stopped to watch them from the opposite side of the street.

Lily, Nilla, Tomo, and Lee formed something of a square as they walked down the crowded sidewalk, and bringing up the rear was Akio. I could see Lily and Lee's mouths moving, but I couldn't tell what they were saying.

The explosion was so sudden. I screamed and ran for cover under the building's overhang. I knew who was causing this, but I didn't understand why there were two attacks. However, I once again crouched down and put my hands over my head to protect myself.

"No! No! No!" Lily was wailing, and I looked up to see her face contort in horror. Then, I knew that this had happened before; something in Lily's face told me this wasn't the first time she had seen these attackers either.

"Lily!" Nilla lunged over and encircled the other girl around the waist. Then, Nilla yanked Lily back under the building's overhang on the other side of the street. Lily was still screaming, and she had begun to cry, but Nilla's face had turned hard and fierce.

Gold began to pour down into the streets. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. However, I didn't feel enticed to go chase after the gold like so many of the onlookers had begun to do. I wiped my nose on my sleeve, and I hadn't realized I had started to cry because the tears had started to fall silently.

"No!" Lily kept screaming, but this particular wail was ear splitting. "Tomo! Lee!"

The two boys had rushed out into the street and begun to grab up the gold. I stayed safely under the building, but Tomo and Lee certainly weren't alone in the street. More and more people poured out of buildings to go and take the treasure falling from the sky.

My eyes fell on Akio, who stood mutely at the edge of the overhang. He had gone over to Lily and Nilla, but he hadn't hid under the overhang with them. He stopped, and Nilla shouted something, but Akio only stood there as if deaf and blind.

Then, he charged out into the street. He was closer now, so when he yelled, I could hear him. "Tomo! It's not safe! Get out of the street! It's not real, Tomo! Lee! It's a trick!"

I realized I had never heard Akio shout before, and that fact alone would have moved me possibly to do something. However, as he grabbed his brother's arm, Tomo punched him in the gut. Akio staggered backwards, his mouth widening with his eyes, in shock. Then, Akio recovered and charged back into try to grab Tomo again. Lee and Tomo were engrossed in collecting the gold, and this time, they both converged on Akio. I realized they thought he was trying to take the gold.

I had begun to cry in earnest now. The scene was horrible, and I couldn't control my trembling. I pulled my knees under my chin and just sat on the street. I watched as everyone fought each other, and behind them all, I could see Nilla and Lily. Nilla's face was set in a scowl, but it was Lily who was the worse of the two to watch. She was still shrieking, and her normally bubbly features were contorted with tears.

It all ended as quickly as it began.

That's when I knew I had lost my memory. It had just ended.

I opened my eyes, but this time, I realized I was lying down. I heard purring, but before I could move, there was a wet kiss on my cheek. I turned my head to look at the face of the white tiger that had been at the battle.

I tried to smile, but my lips felt dry. Instead, the tiger leaned in and licked me again. I wiggled my fingers before I picked up my hand and reached to pet the tiger's head. I didn't think I could reach him, but the tiger moved his head so it would be easier for me to pet him. He rested the side of his head against my stomach, and I could feel his purring rumble through my body.

"That's not the point."

I realized I could hear talking, and it was Kayura who spoke.

"I thought the fact that Cye kept quite a large secret from us quite a valid point," the blue haired warrior spoke next. "Besides, if we had known that the Warlords had given up their armors, we wouldn't have reacted the same. I assure you that would have taken priority."

"All the same, you don't know where Cye, Seiji, and Kento are," Kayura spoke again. I knew it! Cye, Seiji, and Kento were involved in this! I moved, and the tiger lifted his head off my chest while I tried to stand up.

"They shouldn't be hard to find. When they know what's happening, there won't be a problem," Ryo said. I put my legs over the edge of the couch.

"Yeah, but that still leaves three armors out there," the blue haired warrior spoke again.

"And the Warlords," Kayura said in a softer voice.

"Kayura, I hate to say this, but I don't think any of us are very keen on going to save the Warlords," the blue haired warrior said again. "For us, they're not worth it."

"Yeah, sorry," Ryo added, "but if she's got them, and if this woman's as powerful as you think she is, they're probably dead anyway."

There was silence, but I had stood up before I realized it was quiet. As I stood dumbly in the room, I could almost eat the tension that had followed Ryo's last words. However, the tiger padded into the kitchen, and soon, I heard the grating of chair legs across a linoleum floor.

Ryo and the blue haried warrior were the first two that came into the living room. The tiger plodded in behind Ryo but came back to sit by my side. For a moment, the three of us just stared at each other, but Ariel burst between them and came over to me.

"Are you okay?" Ariel asked as she cocked her head to the side in a very bird like way. However, in a very human way, she squeezed both of my armored hands between her tiny, feathered ones.

"Yes," I said, and then, I looked up at the two warriors. I addressed the blue haired warrior when I said, "I don't believe I know your name. I've seen you, though."

"Hashiba Rowen," he told me as a side comment before he said, "Ariel told us you were having dreams. What did you see? What were they about?"

I let my mouth drop open slightly, and I met Ariels's eye. I didn't know what to say, but I began by telling him, "Well, you were in one, Ryo was in a couple, and I saw the Ancient. I also saw . . . Kayura."

She appeared between the two warriors, and I was instantly struck by how different she was from in my dream. There seemed to be something older about her now, and her eyes looked puffy, even though I wasn't close to her.

"You saw me," Kayura said, and her voice sounded thin and very breakable. If I hadn't seen it, I would never have believed that this woman could have fought as fiercely as she did. There was something so fragile about Kayura, and she looked so exhausted.

"Yes, and Talpa, too," I whispered. "All of you were there. I know, that sounds like the wizard of Oz, but I saw all of you in my dreams."

Ryo and Rowen burst into laughter, but Kayura missed the joke, and her face remained taunt. Finally, Rowen recovered from his hysterics and asked me, "So, what did you see? I would really like to hear more."

"Well," I began, but I didn't know what to say. Something told me to leave the part about Anubis out for now, so I began by saying, "I saw Ryo fighting, actually, for two of the dreams. In one, he fought Talpa, and in the other, he fought Anubis."

"You're kidding," Ryo blurted out, "I mean, you weren't even there!"

"Good point," Rowen added, and I knew the next question. "So, how did you witness these events?"

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, but when I first opened my mouth, nothing came out.

"When did you see me?" Kayura asked before I could speak. Rowen frowned, but I decided Kayura's question was easier.

"I saw you when you were possessed and freed," I informed Kayura, but I didn't expect her reaction. She was holding the staff of the Ancient, or else I thought she would have collapsed on the floor. Her face drained of color as she stared blankly into space. Rowen and Ryo were looking between us, and as Rowen met my gaze, I knew I would have to tell them.

"I saw these dreams through Anubis's eyes," I blurted out, and when I said it, I felt embarrassed. However, I decided to add, "But I saw what happened to me when Talpa invaded, too. I saw my own capture."

"You weren't supposed to remember that," Ryo muttered.

"I think she's beyond the common rules, Ryo," Rowen said as he scrutinized me. I wasn't sure what he was looking for, but I felt naked under his stare. Finally he spoke again. "N'dekil, I have no idea why you would see these things, but obviously, the armor was calling to you."

"Yes," was the only word I could come up to say in reply. Then, the rings of the staff began to jingle.

(Nakeisha)

I was walking, but not really moving, through a vast desert. I realized I had nothing with me. What was I doing? Where was Zera? I knew she said she would come with me, but where was I?

When did Zera promise she would come? She told me that she had a nightmare, but she was elusive about it. Maybe she never promised to come with me. Why would we be going into a desert?

I knew Zera had promised to come with me. Maybe she just hadn't said it. Damn it, I wasn't sure, but the land wasn't hot, and the sky remained overcast. Where was I going? I kept walking, and I felt confident because I had a sensation of not being alone. I thought I might be meeting somebody. Could it be Zera? For some reason, I didn't think I would be meeting Seiji, though, even if he came to mind, too.

The dust blew threw the air, and then, the heavy curtain of sand parted. Towering above me, a shrine stood in the center of this no man's land, but there was no light coming from with in it. Every inch of the building appeared deserted, but I entered anyway because I felt someone was inside. However, once I was inside, the heat increased, but the blowing dust ceased, and I took the time to brush the sand from my body.

It was then I realized I had been naked. I groaned, and now I was glad I could see no one else. As I noticed I was naked, I realized I really wasn't alone. All around the dark crevices of the shrine were statues, all bent and shaped in peculiar positions, but I could see none of their faces. As I looked upon them, I realized they were great warriors, rulers, or priests of some sort.

Among these carved figures, I felt embarrassed. I put my hands over my breasts, but that was silly. No one else was here except . . . the monk who stood in front of me. I wasn't sure if he was real nor not because he, too, seemed to be made of some type of marble or translucent stone. However, unlike the statues, he extended his hand above his head, and the only light in the room came from his palm.

I had no words, but I inclined my head foreword, curious to see if he would say anything.

There was a flash of light, and I opened my eyes, realizing I was staring at my ceiling.

"Nakeisha!" Zera hissed. I knew she would be here! I grinned, despite myself. She had promised to come! "What are you doing?"

I wondered what she meant, and I turned my head to the side to look at her. Then, I realized I was looking down at her!

"Shit!"

I was only inches from my ceiling, but that seemed to escape me when I woke up. How did I miss something that important? I didn't know, but it did occur to me now that I was floating in the air, levitated out of my bed. Why hadn't I noticed _that_ before?

"Nakeisha, _get_ _down_," Zera commanded, and I only chuckled. I peered down at her, both hands on her hips, and she obviously didn't think this was very amusing.

"What _am_ I supposed to do?" I said with a little burst of giggles. "I didn't float myself up here. Sure you didn't do this?"

"Shut it," Zera snapped as she hopped up onto my bed and reached for my leg. I felt her tug at my body, but it was like I was suspended in stone instead of air, and she was unable to move me.

"While I'm up here," I began to talk to Zera, who was failing to even move my body a centimeter, "I'm going to tell you about my own freaking dream that can match yours."

Zera only grunted, which I took as a sign to keep talking. "I was in a desert, and I found this shrine. This monk, he offered me his hand, and that's when I woke up. I remember a light."

"Was he going to say something to you?" Zera asked, and all the irritation was gone out of her voice. She stopped yanking my legs, and I had a feeling this might have something to do with her dream, too.

"I couldn't tell. Something was going to happen, though. Why do you want to know?"

"Because, someone was trying to tell me something in my nightmare, but I didn't listen. I was feeling terrified."

"Maybe you should've listened," I reprimanded Zera. I watched as she cocked an eyebrow at me.

"I'm not the one levitating," she reminded me casually while she paced to the other side of the room. I watched her, and I could tell she was definitely thinking. When she came back to this side of the room, she said, "Nakeisha, do something for me. See if you _can_ do what the man wanted you to do. See if you _can_ make that moment you felt was about to happen . . . just _happen_."

"You think it will get me down?" I asked her, and Zera only shrugged. I sighed, and I closed my eyes again. I relaxed my body first, and I took many deep breaths before I began to think about my dream. I pictured the frigid image of the monk, and the light in his hand, but more than the monk, I focused on the light. It was pulsing, glowing, and I saw something inside it when I thought about it.

Instead of just the white hand, I saw a small orb in the palm. It was beating, and I watched as pink color rippled through it. How odd that I didn't see it before, but I felt drawn to it. I stared at it longer, and I felt it was now detached from the hand, and upon the smooth pearl surface gleamed _nin_, the virtue for endurance.

Now, I felt the orb was completely detached from the hand, and the only thing that stood between it and me was me reaching out an arm to claim it. Unlike grabbing for anything normal, my movements felt languid, slow, yet fluid as I extended my hand to take the orb.

I touched it. It wasn't in the dream, either. I touched it with my own right hand, which was the same hand I had extended in my dream, coincidently.

I heard Zera make a noise, but my eyes whipped open when I felt the pulsing of the orb flood my senses. I could see, but every image felt fused with electricity, and my entire body tingled with a sizzling current that pulsed in my muscles. I could hear, but it was surreal, and my sense had strung me up and trapped me in some moment that seemed to usher in some final ecstasy. The wind, which had blown in the desert, invaded the space around me, and I felt the levitation barrier fail, and I dropped to the floor. Inches before the ground, my fall was halted by a fuzzy, salmon bubble, and my knees, which would have hit the carpet first, hovered inches above it.

"I did what you told me," I muttered to Zera, who looked at me with a wide-open mouth. She said something quick and incomprehensible, and then, she ran over and grabbed the compact mirror on her nightstand. She ran back over, almost tripping over her own feet to hold the mirror in front of my face.

This time, I was the one who swore something incomprehensible. I looked at myself, but the last thing that concerned me was my fish like gaping mouth. Instead of my pajamas, I was wearing a pine green, metal suit. Why didn't I notice that before, or did it really feel this light?

For a while, we both were just silent. What was there to say? I couldn't tell how much time had elapsed, and I began cautiously to examine the metal plating. It was linked, not a complete full piece, but the metal overlapped me and protected everything below my neck. I flexed my arms, marveling at how flexible the metal plating was. I was fully protected, yet I found I still had a full range of motion.

"Nakeisha," Zera said, and I turned my attention to her again. "I think I'm going to hear the voice."

"Go for it," I told her, and I wondered why I let those words out of my mouth. We didn't know where this stuff came from or what it did. Why did I just tell her to go back into her dream? Somehow, I thought it was right, I guess, and it was the advice she'd given me.

Judiciously, after what happened to me, Zera sat down on the floor and crossed her legs. Still hovering above the ground, I watched her close her eyes. She was relaxed, perfectly still, then her face crumpled up in a snarl of pain or anger. I went to move towards her, and when I did, I put my feet on the ground and broke the bubble. I froze, totally still, amazed at the experience of walking with my tingling senses.

Then Zera's eyes snapped open, and her mouth opened as if to scream. Yet, no sound came from her mouth, and I just gaped at her while her entire body became covered in plating like mine, but with the exception that hers plating was maroon. Then, a light exploded on her forehead, and I jumped back at the shock. It was unnatural, and I had never seen a light explode on or out of someone's head.

I waited, but Zera recovered quicker than I had, and she stood up. Like me, she flexed her arms, and she stuck one arm up in the air and moved her hand to study the motion. I gazed at my tall friend as she systematically stretched her muscles and moved around. "What did you hear?" I asked her after I thought she'd flexed enough.

Zera stopped moving, and her gaze refocused on me again. For a moment, she only blinked, and I truly thought she forget I was in the room. Slowly, her mouth opened, and it took her longer than normal to form words, but she eventually said, "Lady of War, Daughter of the North, Child of Winter, Bringer of the Dark, Follower of the way of Final Piety . . ."

She stopped, but I was hanging on every word, and I waited for me. "Well?" I finally asked when she only stared at me. "What else was said?"

"Nothing," Zera muttered. "It was only part of the message, and then, I took my orb with _ko_ . . . final piety . . . Lady of War . . . Nakeisha, these are armors."

It was like a Mac truck plowing into my face. I looked down at my body again, and it made absolute sense. Yes, these were armors. What else would they be? I almost laughed, but Zera's words rang in my ears.

_Lady of War_. That's what the shrine, the monk, and everything had been telling me. I was a Lady of War, but what did _that_ mean?

"So, what do we do?" I asked Zera, who kept studying her hand. She flexed her fingers a couple times before looking up at me.

"I know it is right, in my gut. Lady of War. It's all _true_," she whispered, and I thought she was a phantom in the darkness with that eerie light upon her brow.

"_Ladies_ of War," I corrected Zera. When I said that, the air seemed charged, and I expected something to happen, but nothing did. The room felt tense for a moment, then all the energy seemed to ebb away. For the first time all evening, I think I took a real breath, and something in my muscles relaxed.

"What time is it?" Zera finally asked as she gazed around the room and away from me.

"Four thirty four." We had acknowledged our fates . . . Ladies of War . . . at four thirty four in the morning, when the sun had not yet risen. The cars still buzzed by along the streets, and the hall light still crept in under the door crack. My family was still sleeping, and the world kept turning, yet everything had changed.


	26. The Ladies of War

**The Ladies of War**

(Nakeisha)

I woke up about four hours later, and my clock read eight thirty. I looked over at Zera, who was just sitting on the edge of her bed. She stared at me for a moment before holding up her orb for me to see. I reached down and fingered my orb, and it let me know that last night wasn't just some dream I had.

I got up, and we didn't say a word to each other while we brushed our teeth, took our showers, and got dressed. I threw on jeans and a T-shirt, and Zera did the same. I felt there was an understanding between us, but what it was, I wasn't exactly sure. Since I met Zera, we had made a connection, and I felt we understood each other, but last night had taken our bond deeper than I could have ever imagined. However, I felt that if I made the plans, Zera would follow. Whatever happened, I knew Zera had my back.

We went down to eat breakfast with my dad and mum, and we did so in the same compulsive silence towards each other that we had observed all morning. However, we both said the traditional greetings to my parents. Sean was yet no where to be seen, and I was incredibly thankful that he was probably still sleeping.

When I had finished eating, I looked over at Zera, who was done with her food, too. Her gaze told me to make the plan because she was ready. I stood up and walked over to grab my school bag. "Dad, Zera and I are going out for the day. I think we're probably going to end up at Sengoku University to do some research. Is that okay?"

"Sure, but . . ." my dad said, but Zera and I were out the door before we could really hear the end of his sentence. I looked over at Zera, who ambled along beside me.

"What do you think we'll find at the University?" Zera asked.

"You don't think it's a good plan?" I asked and tried to stop myself from sounding defensive.

"No, I'm not doubting your plan, but why that particular place? It's curiosity, Nakeisha," she said as we stopped to wait for a bus.

"Well, it's a large place with a good library, and if we hit a road block, we can get help," I rationalized why I had chosen that place. Well, I didn't know why, but the reasons I said made sense. It just felt like the right place to look for answers, and I couldn't explain that any more than I could explain the fact that I levitated off my bed last night.

When the bus pulled up, we boarded and took seats by each other in the back. We sat quietly as we rode towards the University. Zera sat beside the window, but I looked over her to stare at the world outside the bus. The day was a clear one, and there wasn't even the faintest trace of clouds in the sky. People were already bustling around, even though it was before ten o'clock on the weekend. As we approached the University, I noticed some of the buildings began to take on a more uniform design.

I wondered where our search should begin, and I had a hunch 'glowing orbs' wouldn't turn up useful information. At the same time, I remembered the metal plating we had worn last night, and I thought that might turn up in something.

We arrived at the University rather quickly, and when we got off the bus, Zera followed me towards the large, double doors that led into the library. Once inside, we seemed to depart from the noise that characterized the bustling city during the day time. Silently, I walked over to a set of computers. I sat down, and Zera pulled up a seat beside me. I set my fingers on the key board, but I had no idea what to look up first.

"Armor," Zera whispered. My eye brows furrowed together as I fixed her with a confused glance. "You heard me. That's what we had last night."

"Okay," I muttered as I typed in the world 'armors' under 'search key words.' Needless to say, we had quite a large list. I pulled out a notebook, since it would cost to print, and I scribbled down some titles before tearing out the paper. Zera took it without a word and disappeared into the shelves.

I copied down some more titles before I typed in the words 'search titles.' Here, the list was more narrow, and I copied down most of the book names the search engine produced. Then, I, too, went into the many shelves of the library to hunt down some books. As I began to find the matches the search produced, I flipped through the index to find out what the book specifically mentioned about armors. However, many of the titles seemed useless for our purpose.

"Nakeisha, I found it," Zera whispered. I gave a slight start because she had startled me. I turned around to look at her, and she thrust a book in my face. _Mythological Weapons_ was the title of the book, and I read that it was written by a Dr. Koji Eiji. I put one of the books I had down, but I took with me two more books I had gathered in my search. One was about a history of samurai armor, and the other book was a relatively thin volume about the function of various weapons. We went to an empty table, and Zera opened the book up to a specific page.

She put her index finger under one sentence that read, 'The mystical armors are attributed with various virtues.' I looked at it, and I reread it a couple times. Yes, that seemed to correspond with what had happened to us last night. Then, Zera abruptly shut the book, and I opened my mouth to shout, but she had opened it again to the back.

I looked at the author information page, and as I skimmed it, I realized why she had been so excited. It said that Dr. Koji was a professor of romantic literature at Sengoku University. "He's here?" I asked Zera.

"Let's ask a librarian where we could find him," Zera suggested. I stood up and led the way over to the help desk, which was where one of the librarians was working.

"Excuse me, could you tell us how we could get in touch with Dr. Koji?" I asked her and held up his book. "We're doing some research, and we wanted to ask him about his book."

The librarian froze for a moment, and I thought she wasn't going to answer us. The look on her face seemed to imply we were joking, but I fixed her with a stiff, unyielding stare. Finally, she said, "Do you know Dr. Koji _died_ about three months ago?"

I blinked a couple times. _He was dead_? Well, of course the book had been published before then and wouldn't have noted he had passed away. Now, I knew why the librarian thought we were being annoying.

"Oh, we really didn't know. Would we be able to contact anyone else who would know a lot about mythical weapons?" I asked the librarian. This time, she immediately started to look something up in her computer.

"Well, you'll have to make an appointment with any professor, but I won't guarantee they'll have time to see you." With that, the librarian scribbled some names and building addresses down on a piece of paper. She handed it to us, and Zera and I went away from the desk to sit back down at our table, which wasn't empty now.

"So, who are we supposed to look for?" I grumbled. "What if none of these professors contact us?"

"I know," Zera mumbled, "I really wanted to talk to Dr. Koji. The book was published a little over two years ago, and I hoped he was doing more research. That one sentence is all he really says about what we need to know."

I sighed and leaned my elbows against the table. I rested my chin on my bawled up fists as I tried to think of how we could get more facts. "Do you think there would be any grad students who knew on what Dr. Koji was working? Maybe they would know more than the professors."

"Yeah, we might actually get to see them," Zera grumbled. She opened the book and began to skim through the spot where she had shown me the sentence. I caught a glance at the top of the page, which bore that specific section's title, 'The Mystical Armors.'

"Excuse me," the man, who had been sitting at our table, said, "I don't mean to interrupt your studying, but I couldn't help but over hear you were talking about Dr. Koji's research."

"Yes? Do you know about it?" I asked hopefully.

"No, I don't, but I know that his grand daughter, Koji Mia, helped him with much of his research," the man told us.

"Can we contact her?" I asked the man.

"Well, she walked in with me, and I think she went over that way," the man said and pointed to another corner of the library. "There's another group of desks in that corner."

"Thank you so much," I muttered, and I thought I might have raised my voice too loud. Zera thanked the man, too, and we went in the direction the man had told us. Would we really get this lucky? But then, when we reached the corner, we saw three people sitting at the desk, but only one of them was a woman.

I approached her, and Zera followed like my shadow. "Excuse me, are you Koji Mia?"

The woman with the lanky, brunette hair pulled her head up from her book. "Yes, I'm Mia. Can I help you?"

"We wanted to talk to you about your grandfather's research," I told her as Zera showed her the book. Mia opened her mouth, but she didn't say anything, although she gave us a curious look. "You see," I continued to talk, "we came across something, in our own research, that we think relates to what your grandfather wrote."

"What is it?" Mia asked.

"We'll show you in some place more private," Zera clarified. For a moment, I thought we had made her suspicious, and she didn't look like she would help us. I felt a slight resentment to Zera's last statement. I would have been perfectly happy explaining everything to Mia here, but no, Zera made a request that made us look like con artists.

"Well," Mia finally said as she looked back down at her book, "let me finish this and mark my spot. Then, we'll go outside and talk."

I was surprised she'd given into Zera's request, but in minutes, Mia had closed her books and stashed away the ones she needed for her own research. Then, she got up and motioned us to lead her out of the library. No doubt, I thought, she was suspicious of us. I would have been more than a little wary of our story, and I doubted I would have trusted two young girls like Zera and I to have artifacts. However, Koji Mia followed us outside, and then, she gestured for us to follow her.

She took us to a relatively secluded spot in a green on campus and motioned us over to a bench underneath a tree. "Please," she said as she gestured for us to sit, and when Zera and I sat, Mia sat beside us, but she turned so that she could still face us. "Alright, ladies, what is it you wanted to know?"

"What can you tell me about this?" Zera said as she pulled the orb with her _ko _kanji on it out of her pocket. Mia gasped and was visibly shocked as Zera showed it to her. I sent Zera a sharp glance. Why did she show Mia our hand so soon?

"Where did you get this?" Mia whispered as she held out her hand to touch it, but then, she withdrew her hand as if afraid to touch the orb. "I would have said it's an impossibly for you to have that in your possession, but obviously you do."

"We didn't steal it, if that's what you're implying," I snapped. Mia looked at me, and then, she shook her head.

"No, no, I would think that would be hard to steal, but how did you get it?" Mia asked again. "You see, I was under the impression that someone else owned that orb."

"It came to me," Zera began, "when I was asleep last night. I entered a dream, and that is where I found it. I woke up with the orb, and the kanji was glowing on my forehead. It was not stolen, and Nakeisha has one, too."

This time, Mia gave a start and almost slid off the bench. I half expected her to laugh us away after what Zera said. No sane person could believe that story. "C-can I see it?" she stuttered slightly as she composed herself again. I grudgingly pulled out my _nin_ orb, and I was irritated that Zera had us reveal these to this woman so soon into the conversation.

Mia examined my orb with a taunt face before saying, "How did you come by your orb?"

"The same way as Zera, for all intents and purposes," I told her, and I tried to keep the edge out of my voice, but I was a bit cross. This woman had implied we stole these orbs, and then, why had Zera showed them to her? I wanted to just talk about the book and try to glean little useful clues, but Zera seemed to have a different idea in mind.

"What do you mean? Could you describe your experience, too?" Mia asked me.

"Okay, well, I had a dream, too, and I woke up hovering over my bed," I muttered, hoping I didn't sound totally crazy. Mia's eyes widened slightly, but she only gave a small nod in acknowledgement. "Well, I went back to sleep, went farther in my dream, and I woke up with the orb."

"Where you hear in Tokyo three months ago?" Mia asked us.

"I was still in Russia," Zera replied.

"I went to America to visit my relatives there," I told her, and I wondered why she wanted to know our whereabouts then. Was there an art exhibit or something at which these things were shown? Did she _still_ think we stole them?

"The point is," I picked up the conversation again, "that your grandfather seems to be taking about what we have. Would you agree?"

"Yes, I would completely agree, and I do know that he was talking exactly about your orbs. Do you know what they are?"

Zera flipped open Dr. Koji's book and read, "The mystical armors are attributed with various virtues. We have the virtue and the armor, so I was thinking that these are mystical armors."

"You put on the armor?" Mia gasped, and her mouth hung open as she stared at Zera and then at me. "You never told me. That is very important!"

"Well, there wasn't much to them," I confessed. "The armor only consisted of metal plating . . ."

"All over your body but on your face," Mia finished my sentence. I stared at Zera, and I had no doubt now that this woman was authentic. "You didn't put on the armors," Mia clarified with a wave of her hand. "You only put on the sub armor. The actual armor is much more powerful."

"Well, how do we put it on?" Zera asked. For a moment, Mia only stared at her, and I wondered if she would tell us. Not for the first time, I wished Zera had been more discreet.

"Well, I don't have a clear idea of how you don your armors, but I do know that 'Dao' and then the name of the virtue, is a way to summon the power of the Ronin armors. Since they are all related, then maybe it would work for you," Mia said, but I could see in her eyes that she thought that last bit of information might have been against her better judgment. "But why would you want to wear them?"

"Well, they came to us," Zera said and simply shrugged. I bit my lower lip because I watched Mia tense up slightly.

"If you don't think they're supposed to be with us, then doesn't that mean there is something wrong?" I asked her. This time, Mia's eyes lit up, and for a moment, she just stared out into space.

"Yes, that's exactly what it means," she muttered as she stood up and grabbed her bag. Before she left, she told us, "Meet me outside the library. I have more information back at my apartment, and I want to get it. I'll pick you up soon, okay?"

"Where are we going?" I asked her.

Mia had started to walk away, but she glanced over her shoulder and said, "I want to show you some more, but if something is wrong, we need to find the Ronin Warriors. Read the book. It explains more than I can tell you right now."

With that, she strode away and left Zera and I sitting on the bench. When she was gone, we just stared at each other, and I pocketed my orb. Zera, however, just stared at hers for a moment. "Nakeisha, look at it," she muttered.

I shook my head, but I leaned over to stare at her orb as she held it in the sunlight. "Zera, you shouldn't have been so open with her. She was suspicious of us the entire time," I began to lecture Zera, but then, I caught my breath. Instead of shimmering in the sun, her orb, which I thought should have glimmered like a pearl, remained cold and dark. "Zera, the sunlight doesn't even seem to be touching it."

"I know," she whispered, and then, she finally pocketed her orb, too. Instead, she glanced down into Dr. Koji's book. "The Ronin armors gather their powers from nature," Zera read aloud to me, "and they were attributed the virtues of jin, rei, chi, gi, and shin."

"That's not us," I muttered as I stared out across the quiet green. "Mia seemed to know that, too."

"Yes, she didn't tell us nearly enough," Zera said as she continued to skim through the book. "I showed her my orb so she would know we were authentic. I didn't think she would have told us nearly what she did if I hadn't laid it all in the open."

"Well, I would have preferred to be more covert," I grumbled, but there was no point arguing after the fact. I fingered the orb in my pocket, and out of curiosity, I removed it, too, and twirled it in the sun.

I watched, and while I held the orb, it appeared not to be there for a moment. I could still feel it in my hand, but the sunlight seemed to go right through it. Zera glanced up at me while I twirled the sphere between my fingers, and we only locked gazes for a moment. Oh yes, these were much more than two pretty pearls. I stuffed mine back in my pocket and stood up. Zera shut the book and followed me as I walked across the green.

We walked side by side, and it didn't take long to reach the doors of the university. There were a couple of stone benches below the steps, and I sat down on one. However, I looked up at Zera and waited for her to sit, but she didn't move. Instead, I watched as her back tensed. At the same time I saw her freeze up, a shiver rushed down my spine. I turned my head and looked around, but only the noon time crowd bustled around us.

I stood up, too, and looked up at Zera. She felt the cold chill, too, and I knew she sensed the danger, too. Had we let our guard down? Maybe studying our orbs in such an open place hadn't been the best idea, especially if Mia thought something was wrong.

Zera barely moved her lips when she spoke. "We're being watched. Go in the opposite direction I do."

I didn't nod, and when Zera walked one way down the street, I turned and strode in the opposite direction. I knew that if one person was watching us, he or she couldn't follow both of us, but if there was more than one? Well, then they would have to split their forces. Would that give us a better chance? I hoped it would, and as I kept walking, I felt myself begin to sweat, and it had nothing to do with the noontime heat. I kept walking, and when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, I began to zigzag across streets and make more random turns to loose that presence.

It seemed to work, but when I felt the chill get suddenly stronger, I made a sharp turn into a small alley. There, I lost the presence, and I kept walking only to come out in a parking lot. There was grass growing through the cracks in the pavement, and I noticed only several cars parked in between the buildings.

Then, a jolt of cold fear shot down my spine. There was another exit set between two buildings that led to a side street. It seemed only big enough for one car to enter and exit the parking lot, though. I had my hand in my pocket, and I touched my _nin_ orb as I felt a tingle run through my body.

I turned behind me and saw a very ordinary man standing the in alley way from which I had just come. He was in a black suit, and there seemed to be nothing extrodinary about him. However, I felt a strange aura coming from him, but then, I felt another presence behind me. In the car entrance stood a woman, also dressed in a simple black suit, and I felt the same aura from her.

I was trapped. They had cornered me in this deserted place.

The woman moved first, and her speed was super human. However, I had my hand on my orb, and as I squeezed it, the sub armor, as Mia called it, covered my body. When she slammed into me, the armor kept me from being hurt. With the grating of metal on concrete, I slid across the pavement. The man moved next, and I scampered up and pulled out a burst of speed. His elbow left a hole in the concrete where I had fallen before, but I was up now.

They had succeeded in getting me farther from the exits. They had backed me into a corner, quite literally. I scowled at this pair of clearly non-human figures that stood before me. "What do you want?"

"Show it to us," the man spoke in a halting, monotone voice. His appearance might be normal, but there was a bestial quality to his voice. It was as if his vocal cords weren't made for human speech.

I set my jaw as I stared at them. "You want the real armor? _Fine_. Have it!" I spat. "_Dao Nin_!"

The first thing I noticed was that there was added weight on my chest, shoulders, and legs. The second, and most shocking, part about summoning the armor was when the helmet came on my head. It covered my hair and my neck, and the closest thing I had ever come to wearing something like this was when I wore a bicycle helmet, but that couldn't do the heaviness of this samurai head piece justice. Then, when I felt the power surge taper away, a silver facemask slid across my face and obscured everything but my eyes. I could still breathe, but there was a feeling of confinement in this helmet.

However, the two strange creatures in front of me grinned, and their mouths stretched back to their ears and revealed too many sharp teeth. They were going to attack again. I steadied myself for the blow that would come.

Their leaps were synchronized, and as they came towards me, I had the impression that their shapes were changing. They were so fast I couldn't tell.

The woman smashed into me, but the man's attack never came. He was decapitated, and the woman was distracted by her comrade's death. That is all it took for the sword to find her neck, too.

I knew it was Zera before she spoke, although I couldn't recognize her. A brown headpiece, with two massive black metal spikes jutting from where her forehead might be, obscured her hair and her face, and a red faceplate hid everything but her eyes and mouth. I wondered if my helmet looked just as threatening and bizarre. I just knew her, and it was only party because I knew no one else would be coming to aid me. She was wearing an armor, too, and a red cape billowed behind her.

"Let's go. Two followed me, too," she said as went over to a motorcycle. Her voice sounded odd behind the facemask. It seemed muffled, yet she also sounded more unyielding than ever. As she hauled the bike off the ground, I realized she had driven it in here because it hadn't been in the lot when I entered.

She stowed her sword in a sheath that ran sideways across her back. "You can drive one of those?" I asked as I ran over to her, and I noticed my voice had a strange quality behind this mask, too. When I moved, I caught site of three scythes on my right and three scythes on my left. I also noticed that, while I could still see the darker green sub armor, there were pink, metal arm guards on my wrists. Attached to them appeared to be a mace of some sort and a pair of weapons that looked vaguely like two nunchuks held together by a chain.

"My brother worked on bikes," Zera said as she started the motorcycle. I wanted to find out if she had the credentials to drive it, though, and I realized she probably never got a license. However, at my hesitation, Zera snapped, "More will come."

I agreed completely and jumped on behind Zera. I wrapped my arms around her waist as she gunned the bike and shot out of the parking lot. No sooner had she pulled out than I saw two creatures dart through the air.

Zera glanced into the rearview mirror, so I knew she saw the several bat-like creatures that had followed us. "We need to loose them. You fight, and I'll drive."

"I can't use these!" I shouted as I peered at the scythes attached to my back. I had never been trained to use weapons! What was I supposed to do?

"Learn how!" Zera yelled as she made a quick turn. We were going entirely too fast for the crowded Tokyo streets.

I snorted. "That's easy for you to say. You got the sword and not these random blades on your back." Then, before I could say anything else, Zera shot around a curve entirely too fast and zipped through a red light. "Don't wreck!" I screamed.

Zera only laughed. "Nakeisha, we're in full body armor. Wrecking will not be a problem," Zera said as she continued to chuckle. That burned me on the inside, and I bit my lower lip. I looked down at the mace on my arm. I peered over Zera's shoulder and looked into the rearview mirror. They were above our heads, but I didn't think they were close enough for me to hit them with the mace. I had no idea how to wield nunchuks.

Then, one of the creatures dove down at my head. I pulled the mace off my arm and swung it at the creature. It connected with a wing, and the creature went off balance. It splattered against a wall, but there were two more to take its place.

I swung again, and I caught another creature in the side. This one almost fell out of the air, but it recovered. The second one reached for me with its claws, and it was almost close enough to pull me off the bike. I took the mace and brought it down upon its skull. I heard the bones crunch, and the creature fell on the pavement.

Then, I took a final swing, and the remaining creature dodged it. However, I pulled the mace back towards me, and when I did, it caught the creature and snapped its wing. It fell into a car windshield, but I turned around to look where Zera had taken us. We were near a highway, leading out of the city, and the sign that said Odawara caught my attention.

"Get on the highway! Let's go find Seiji!"

"_What_?" Zera asked as we were rapidly approaching the ramp to get on the highway.

"If any more come, we'll loose them on the highway, and Seiji's boarding house might be safe!" I shouted to her. I couldn't see her face to read her reaction, and I wasn't sure if she liked my reasons. Honestly, I just felt going to Seiji was the best thing for us to do. Why did I want to find Seiji? Did I think he knew about mystical armors? Not really, but I felt he would believe us and aid us.

No matter what she thought, Zera made the turn onto the entrance ramp. We accelerated as we reached the highway, and in what seemed seconds, she was cruising ahead of everyone else. I looked down at the speedometer and realized she was going one hundred and twenty miles an hour!

I sighed and leaned against her as everything passed us by in a blur. I kept looking into the rearview mirror, though, just in case something started following us. As we got off the highway and turned on the road that led to Seiji's boarding house, I thought we really did loose them. Zera, however, kept going ninety miles per hour.

I looked up and saw a dark shape. Zera swerved to miss it, and I saw it was some huge bear like creature. It had a rider, but I couldn't distinguish anything about it. I swung the mace and kept the creature from pulling the bike on its side.

How did they know we would be heading towards the boarding house? It hadn't seemed predictable, but here were more creatures.

A creature ran towards us, and I swung the mace out in front of the bike. It connected with the rider and knocked it off. Zera still had to dodge the rampaging bear.

"Zera, the driveway!" I shouted. She made a hairpin turn onto the gravel drive.

Zera was still traveling almost ninety miles per hour. Then, she cut the curve too sharp. I thought my attack had knocked us off balance, too. I saw a creature lunge from a bush.

It all happened too fast. One moment, I was on the motorcycle. The next, I lay sprawled on the gravel drive. I looked around, but I couldn't see the bike. I had heard the crash, but I couldn't find Zera.

I heard growling. I rolled over and raised myself off the ground. My body ached, but as I sized up the three bear creatures, their riders, and several other creatures that looked like minotaurs, I realized that Zera had been right: wrecking would not be a problem. I could live through it. These things had come here to kill me.

(Seiji)

It was midday, and I had my elbow propped up against the bottom of the windowsill so that I could rest my check on my fist. We were on the bus back to the manor, and Cye, who was leaning his cheek on the window, sat in front of me. Kento sat beside him, and it was from Kento's place that we had just come. Kento and I had wanted to come home last night to see if Kayura arrived home this morning, but Kento's mum had insisted we spend the night and then eat breakfast. Cye had completely agreed, so Kento and I had contented ourselves with staying with Kento's family. However, we ended up getting a later start than we anticipated, and we missed the first bus home. Now, slightly past noon, we were on the highway to Odawara.

Now, the Kayura problem bothered me. It wasn't that I thought Kayura couldn't take care of herself, but it was the simple fact that Kayura had alluded she might need help that concerned me. I wanted to know where she'd gone, and if there was a problem, I wanted to know what it was. Maybe I was just irritated because Kayura was keeping secrets, but Kento seemed just as anxious to get back to the manor. I had an odd inkling that Kento and I were sharing the same fears about Kayura, and to share an emotion with Kento really did seem to suggest something quite important was happening.

I felt the pierce of the familiar energy before I had seen anything. I started, and my eyes were draw to the motorcycle that sped by the bus. It moved too quickly for me to have really seen anything about its riders, but the energy signals had been unmistakable.

Kento sprang up, and I thought he might barrel over Cye to try and see out the window. Cye jerked his head off the window, and he looked fazed, but he grabbed Kento by the shoulder and sat him back in his seat.

"Did you see the motorcycle?" Cye said as he turned to look at me with wide eyes.

I gave a quick nod. "And I know it has two riders."

"I know I didn't imagine it," Kento muttered, his mouth still hanging slightly open. "Seiji, Dais was on that motorcycle."

I nodded. There was no way to ignore that I had felt the energy of the Gen Masho. However, it hadn't been the Gen armor I had noticed first. What had startled me was the fact that I had felt the energy of the Yami armor pierce my brain like a knife. There was no mistake that the Yami Masho had been on the motorcycle, and that bike was headed in the direction we traveled.

"It was heading in the same direction we are," I noted to Cye and Kento. They exchanged quick glances. Did this have something to do with Kayura? Maybe she really had gone to the Nether Realm. However, there seemed to be something off about two of the Warlords riding on a motorcycle, and in any other circumstance, it might seem comical, but now, there seemed something ominous about the situation.

We got off the bus not far from the gravel driveway. We strode towards the drive, casting glances between each other as we walked. I thought Kento wanted to break into a run, but I didn't want to get worked up if nothing really was wrong. However, I tucked my orb into my palm for quick use if anything proved amiss.

When we got close to the drive, I could smell burnt rubber before I saw the skid marks on the road. Kento broke into a run, and Cye and I followed him. When we reached the driveway, I noticed that the gravel was torn up where something, presumably a motorcycle, had turned into the drive.

Then, I heard a growl. I donned my sub armor, and Kento and Cye did the same. The Minotaur like creature leapt at us, but Kento used his fist and smashed its face while Cye and I knocked it down.

From the woods, and further up the driveway, came more sounds. Kento had already clasped his hands together and shouted, "Dao Gi!"

"Dao Shin!"

"Dao Rei!" The power flooded into my body as the armor came to me. Part of the strength to don the armor came from inside of me, and that made more adrenaline course through my veins with each quickening heartbeat. Then, I wore the armor, and weight of Halo was familiar to me. I immediately drew the no-dachi and gripped the hilt with both hands.

However, the creatures that came rampaging down the driveway were not, by any means, things I had seen in the Dynasty. More of the minotaurs bore down on us, but there were also these bear like creatures with cloaked riders on their backs. I waited for them to come closer to me, but I heard Kento begin his attack.

When they were almost on me, I dove forward and sliced the legs from under a minotaur. I brought the blade up and slashed off a bear creature's head before cutting through its rider as well. I turned and stabbed the no-dachi into the stomach of another minotaur, which made it fold over and fall.

"They're coming from the forest, too!" Cye shouted. I glanced in his direction, and I could see these bug creatures snaking between the trees. Cye charged after them, but I had no time to follow him. A bat creature descended upon me, and I sliced its wing off. It fell, but I had to fend off a couple more of those creatures. The worse part was that more minotaurs and bear creatures charged towards me.

"Alright, babies, let me teach you how it's down," Kento growled. He spun his tetsubo in a great circle over his head. "Iron Rock Crusher!"

I braced myself for the power of the attack when Kento smashed his weapon into the earth. The driveway exploded into pieces, and the creatures that had been coming towards us toppled over each other and fell when the earth split. Then, they were obliterated by the power of Kento's sure kill.

Up ahead, beyond the bend in the driveway, I heard more noise. There was a yell, and it didn't sound like a creature. I looked at the massive hole in the driveway and dove into the woods to work my way towards the commotion. I heard Kento crashing through the under brush as he followed me.

Soon, emerging through the trees, we came in sight of about thirty creatures that had formed a circle. In the middle, the figure who they had trapped and were tightening the circle upon was the Gen Masho. However, at first glance, something about the bearing of the Gen armor didn't appear correct.

"Dais looks tiny," Kento muttered. Yes, that was it. The Gen Masho had a smaller stature to him than I remembered. Was my mind playing tricks upon me? Maybe, but then again, possibly not.

Kento raised his tetsubo over his head again and began to spin it. I looked over at him with his face set in a scowl, and I knew I couldn't stop what was coming. "Iron Rock Crusher!"

The second attack smashed up most of the circle, but some of the creatures weren't destroyed in the attack. Indeed, I saw more creatures rampaging down the driveway to replace those that Kento destroyed. However, there were some of the bugs, which looked like purple and pink centipedes, and more of the minotaurs coming towards us. However, out of the creatures that survived the attack, I noticed most of them seemed like armored trolls of some sort, and they were easily three or four heads taller than I was.

A pair of these creatures charged me, and I brought my blade up to strike them. However, it bounced off the chest armor, and I had to duck the blade of the second creature. I brought my no-dachi up quickly and stabbed the one creature through the neck. The second one threw me off balance, but I recovered to parry his blow. Then, I struck him in his exposed jugular, and he fell, too.

"What are you doing!" Kento shouted. I looked over in the wreck left by Kento's attack. The Gen Masho had gotten up and had obviously attacked Kento. With one hand, the Gen Masho spun the deadly spiked morning star, and with the other hand, held the nunchuks ready for use.

I watched as the Gen Masho swung the morning star at Kento, who had unlinked his tetsubo into its three sections, which he spun around to counter the attack. They went back and forth like that for a time, but I felt that the Gen Masho seemed slow.

"Come on, Dais, where's that sure kill? No taunts for me today?" Kento sneered. "I expected more from you."

I frowned as I watched the two warriors fight. No, there was something wrong about this, and I had a funny hunch that this warrior wasn't Dais. Kento was right, although I doubted he had yet come to the conclusion that the warrior wasn't Dais. The Gen armor bearer hadn't touched the six deadly kama attached to the back of the Gen armor that would deliver the sure kill.

No, this wasn't Dais's style of fighting at all. However, I noticed more creatures were closing in on the pair, and as I scanned the mass of creatures, I noticed one hung back. One of the bear creatures and its rider didn't advance but lingered in the background to observe the fight. I turned my attention to one of the bug creatures and began to fight it. I sliced it open easily enough, and then, I appeared to get ready to aim my sure kill at a minotaur.

"Thunder Bolt Cut!"

At the last possible moment, I turned the surge of power and directed it towards the bear and rider. It hit the bear, which was destroyed, but the rider had leapt in the air, and its hood fell back. A white skull mask gleamed in the sun, and the mocking smile that was part of the mask infuriated me. I aimed my no-dachi at the creature and shouted again, "Thunder Bolt Cut!"

"Iron Rock Crusher!" Kento shouted as he pummeled another attack into the other creatures that were charging at me. I watched at the masked rider's left arm was hit by the attack, but the rider was still able to scamper away.

"Coward," I muttered under my breath.

"Hey!" Kento shouted again. I turned back to the Gen armor bearer, who had once again struck Kento with the morning star. Kento scowled at the armor bearer as he raised his tetsubo to strike the armor bearer. I dodged between them and caught Kento's tetsubo with my no-dachi. Kento looked surprised, but he lay off his attack for the moment.

"Let me take him!" the Gen bearer spat. "He attacked me!"

I vaguely recognized the voice, but Kento shouted, "Whatever you'd like to believe! Let's go, then! If you want a fight, I'll give it!"

I turned to the Gen bearer. "You should stop this."

I could only see the dark, chocolate eyes as the bearer said, "I'm not out of fight."

I stood there, contemplating the Gen armor and its bearer for a moment. The design of the helmet, with the two metal green horns jutting out of opposite sides, was the same, and the silver faceplate masked all but the two ferocious eyes of this bearer. In addition, the coloring of the armor hadn't changed, and the dark pink chest plate, shoulder guard, arm guards, leg guards, and the three pronged toe guards still retained the same style. However, there was something in the fit of the armor which was different, and as I stared into those burning eyes, I knew why the armor seemed to be less massive.

Instead of attacking, I hung my no-dachi on my back. I put up both hands palms out toward the Gen armor bearer in a gesture of peace. Then, even though the bearer's weapons weren't lowered, I reached up and removed my helmet. I cradled the helmet in my right arm, and the Gen bearer dropped both weapons to the ground.

Immediately, she removed her helmet, and when she did, I saw the face I had expected. Nakeisha gazed back at me, her mouth hanging open. She looked as if she would speak, but the only sound that came out sounded like 'huh.' She was speechless, and there was always something to be said for moments when Nakeisha had no words.

"Will you stop this now?" I asked her. She nodded, but then, she simply cocked her head to one side and stared at me.

"I came to find you," she said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"But you didn't know," I told her. She gave a nod that I was correct, but then simply shrugged. She had no idea why she had come, but by all the creatures gathered, I obviously figured out someone had expected her.

Then, Kento began to mutter curses from behind me. I realized it probably took him this long to recover from the shock of seeing Nakeisha wearing the Gen armor, and he, too, took off his helmet. "Okay, this is just too, I don't know . . . it's just too . . . too"

"Ironic," I finished the thought.

"Something like that," Kento muttered as he gazed daggers at Nakeisha. "It was also not funny."

However, I had began to laugh, and Nakeisha smirked back at Kento, but she didn't take her eyes off me.

"Not funny," Kento grumbled. "Seriously, she," Kento gestured to Nakeisha, "attacked me!"

"You attacked me first! You blew up the ground!" Nakeisha shouted and pointed a finger at Kento. "Really, what a bad attack!"

"It wasn't a bad attack! It's not a precision attack, you know. It's one of those destroy-as-many-things-as-possible attacks. Besides, I didn't even see you use a sure kill!" Kento retorted. With the part about the sure kill, he did have a point.

"A sure kill? Kento, if you haven't noticed, I just figured out how to use these," Nakeisha said as she gestured to the weapons on the ground. "I just put this on less than an hour ago!"

"Really? What happened?" I asked, and I realized that there was something deeply wrong happening if Nakeisha had the armor.

"Well, I put it on, and Zera and I were followed. We rode out here to find you," she said and picked up her weapons and secured them on her arms again.

"Zera?" I asked. Then, I remember that I had also sensed the presence of the Yami armor on the motorcycle. Now, I had a sinking sensation that it might not have been the Yami Masho, as I had thought. The armor bearer of the Yami armor might indeed be Zera, and that was no comforting thought for me.

"Were you two on that motorcycle?" Kento asked. Nakeisha nodded.

"Did you see Zera? We crashed, and I couldn't see where she went. I don't even know where the bike is," Nakiesha said.

"There were creatures in the woods, where Cye went!" I exclaimed and replaced my helmet on my head. Kento and Nakeisha did the same, and the three of us charged off into the woods, trying to find any trail of destruction that might show which way the battle had gone.

(Zera)

The bike flipped, and I went hurtling through the trees. I landed on my back, and the huge bear creature stood over me, and its drool dripped down into my face. I raised my hand and slashed its eyes with my claw. The monster howled, but I threw it off and drew my sword. I slashed the rider.

More bear creatures and these tall, armored creatures came thundering through the forest. I steadied myself, and then, I ran at the bear creatures. I swung the sword down on one of their heads, but the rider went to slash me. I took my claws and dung them into what I hoped was the rider's face. I felt I hit the mark, and the rider gave a horrible howl.

One of the armored, two legged beasts came at me. My eyes only reached its mid chest, so I ducked down and raced behind the creature to avoid its blow. I took the sword and sliced at the back of the creature's knees. It howled in pain, and I delivered a cut to each of its tendons.

I looked up into the slobbering mandibles of some rabid centipede. It started to crawl on me, and I pushed the body of the other creature forward so it didn't fall on me. I stuck my claw in the centipede's mouth to keep it from attacking me. Then, I brought my sword around and decapitated it. Goo spurted everywhere, and as quickly as I could, I got up and dashed away from the centipede body that was lying on the ground and twitching.

Were there no end to these things? More centipedes came charging at me from my left, and several of the armored giants came up behind me. I knew I couldn't fight them all, so I began to sprint through the trees. The forest might offer me the chance to loose these monsters.

The thundering footfalls of the large, armored creatures faded away, and I knew I was out maneuvering them. However, out of the corner of my eye, I could see the centipedes closing the gap on me. Soon, I could hear the sucking sound of their mandibles, and that's when I turned and sliced one in half.

One crawled up my body, and I cut this one in half, too. When I threw the body off me, I doubled my speed and made distance on several others that almost had me. Then, I saw my chance.

I had been moving up a hill, and at one point, part of the ground had fallen away. It was as if part of the land had been cut in half by a saw, and as I looked down, I could see the various layers of soil revealed. It was a passable distance to fall, and the land dropped away at a ninety-degree angle. The best part was that there was an up rooted tree at the bottom. The gnarled roots stuck up into the air, and they looked vaguely like spikes. I steadied myself at a safe distance from the edge of this drop and waited.

The centipedes came padding over the earth, and as they came towards me, I raised my sword. I stood my ground, and swung down to decapitate one when it came close to me. If I couldn't hit one, I would dodge it. The centipedes were moving quickly, and when I dodged, they were too close to the edge. Their momentum propelled them down and onto the tree roots.

As I kept sending them over, I heard the strange, clicking squeals as they were impaled or were injured in some way. Finally, I charged at the last one I could see and decapitated it. Then, I walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. There they were, a mass of guts and squirming, dead, or dying bodies.

Then, I looked back into the forest, which had gone quiet. I gasped as I realized I had lost all my attackers. So, I walked away from where I had killed the bugs and went farther into the woods. I heard the sound of water, and I went towards it. There was a little stream bubbling through the forest, and I began to walk along side it.

When the stream formed a quiet pool, at one of its wider spots, I stopped and bent down to splash water on my face. Before I did, I looked down at myself. It was startling to see my green eyes set amid the bright red of my faceplate. I realized how little of my face I could see, but I ignored this thought and splashed water onto my sweaty face.

As the water dripped down the inside of the facemask, I stood up and looked down at my reflection. There was no denying that I was tall, but this armor seemed to amplify that fact. I fingered one of the spikes, positioned below my clavical, but above my breasts, that jutted from the armor. It was probably no coincidence that one of these spikes was directly over my heart. This was supposed to be an armor, and that was one part of my body I didn't want getting injured.

I didn't know how long she had been standing there, but when I saw her, I raised my sword and pointed it at her. She stood almost directly across from where I stood, but a little to my right, which is probably how I missed her.

The woman was dressed in a billowing, black gown with huge, sweeping sleeves. She wore no rope at her waist, so her body appeared one black mass. Her hair was the same shade of black as her gown, but her skin was pale, and I thought it had a sickly, yellow tint.

However, it was her calm, shimmering, yellow eyes that startled me. As she stood there, watching me, as slight sigh escaped her thin lips. "I am not armed. Would you attack me?"

"Prove it," I muttered. She only sighed again, but she held her hands over her head. Her nails, I noticed, seemed unnaturally long, and they had that yellow tint I saw in her skin. However, her long nails didn't look like claws.

"I do not blame you for not feeling trusting," she told me in a quiet, even voice. She had a deeper, alto voice, and maybe the way she spoke made her voice sound reedy and a little thin.

"You look a little bit like an enemy," I spat at her, but she only shrugged.

"Is it because I am different? Do my looks threaten you?" She paused, but her face remained almost emotionless. "Did you look at yourself? Do so, if you have not."

"I did," I muttered.

"Would not many call you threatening?" Again, she paused, but she kept her eyes fixed on me. She found my gaze, and I looked into those animal yellow eyes. "Do they not think you are threatening without your armor?"

How could she know that? I involuntarily gasped, but my weapon never wavered. Slowly, I watched as the corners of her mouth tugged up into a wry grin.

"Do not be alarmed. You see, your power is what makes you so wonderful. It is true, you know, that your power is the greatest of them all," she told me.

"The greatest of them all?" I asked.

She sighed and shook her head, but her eyes stayed open and fixed on me. "Why, you were not told. There are more armors, but your power is truly the mightiest. Was it not you who saved yourself in this very forest? Did you not escape before, too? Was it not you who felt the danger approaching?"

"I did," I muttered in answer to her questions. While Nakeisha was smart and had led us to Mia, who I felt told us very little, I had been the one to realize we were being watched. I had also gotten Nakeisha out of the city safely. And then, I found a way to kill all those centipedes.

"You are _ko_, final piety, but your virtue may work to make others obedient and pious to you," she told me. Mia told us nothing about that, and she grinned again as she saw the confusion in my face.

"Oh, you have not been told anything of your armor, I see," she said with a sigh. "You have so much potential, but others would hide it from you."

Would they? I wondered this myself. Mia certainly hadn't trusted us immediately, and I didn't know if anyone else would react better than she had. Did this woman really know a lot about my armor? I asked her, "What do you mean?"

"It is simple. You yourself have the ability to a complete, child like obedience and respect towards another, but you may also exert that power over others," and once again she paused before saying, "You could give others cause to obey you. They would finally tell you the truth because you could make them."

"What if I didn't want to?" I asked her.

"Well, then you could be lied to forever," she said with a shrug. "You can rely on that magnanimous virtue of trust and believe that no one will ever lie to or withhold anything from you again."

At these words, my insides burned. "No," I spat. I watched as that slow smile spread over her pasty features again.

"Ah, so would you like me to tell you the truth, Yami?" she asked.

"Yami?"

"Yes, that is the name of your armor. It is a pity you did not know it. You know, that girl did," she told me. I felt anger boil in the bit of my stomach. My armor had a name and no one had told it to me. There seemed to be something traitorous about that Mia, now.

"What else do you know?" I asked her.

"Many things, but would you show me your face?" she asked me. I paused, but I sheathed my sword on my back and reached up to take off my helmet. When I did, my hair tumbled freely over my shoulders, and the cool air of the forest felt good against my sweaty skin.

"Ah, what a powerful woman. No man can equal you." When she said this, I felt pride rise in my chest.

"Tell me, what is your name, so I may have something proper to call you," she asked. I noticed she hadn't moved at all, though, and the distance she kept between us was sufficient. Suddenly, though, I wished she would come closer to me.

"I'm Zera," I told her. This time, she smiled fully, and I could see her white teeth. As she opened her mouth to speak again, I heard the sounding of something crashing through the under brush. I turned my head and gasped as I saw someone in light blue armor sprinting towards me.

As I stared, he stopped and almost fell.

"_Zera_!"

The warrior was carrying something that looked like a trident, which was dropped on the ground so that the helmet could be removed.

I gasped as I looked into the sweaty face of the person who had come to find me. "_Cye_?"

(Cye)

I had tracked the minotaur creatures and the huge, armored giant creatures through the woods. They weren't very quiet, so they really weren't hard to follow. Although they fought me, many of the giant creatures ignored me and plunged farther into the forest.

As I jabbed my yari through the last minotaur, this made me really suspicious. They were heading somewhere, and I doubted they were retreating. I began to sprint through the trees, and sweat dripped into my eyes. I closed the gap upon some of the giants, and I shoved my yari through one of the creature's back. Then, the other creatures turned to fight me. I thrust my yari upwards into one of their throats, and then, I battled the other one until I had a shot at its throat.

These ones were dead, but I heard other sounds farther off in the forest, so I followed them. Obviously, another battle was happening not too far away, but soon, the noise stopped altogether. I paused and panted as I listened to the chirping birds in the silent forest.

Then, I heard the sound of a stream trickling nearby, and I walked towards it. It was strange, how all the noise vanished, and I wondered how that battle had ended. As I stared around, I realized I had come quiet a distance from the driveway, and I wondered if I should try to find my way back to Seiji and Kento. However, I knew this stream passed relatively close the manor at one point, so I began to follow it.

I saw a patch of red, and it stood out amongst the green foliage. I gasped as I realized it was the cape of the Yami Masho. However, as I began to sprint, I noticed the armor bearer wasn't bearing a helmet. When the head turned, I realized it wasn't Kale's face that stared back at me.

I gasped and dropped my yari to the ground as I looked into familiar emerald eyes. "_Zera_!"

I couldn't believe it. She looked just as surprised to see me. "_Cye_?"

"You have come."

A chill shot down my spine, and I dove down to grab my yari. I had been a fool to drop it, but that voice put me on edge. I looked into a shaded region on the other side of the stream from which the voice had come. She stood there, robbed in black, and I noted she had hid herself in the shade.

"_You_," I spat. A slow grin came over her face.

"Cye, you know her?" Zera asked as she turned and gestured to the woman, who crossed, before I could blink, to stand beside Zera.

"Get away from her! Zera, get away!" I shouted as I aimed my yari at the woman. However, she just sneered at me, and her eyes widened, and suddenly, I was in my dream.

I think I screamed, and I couldn't force out my sure kill. I struggled to keep my vision clear, and I pulled my eyes away from her yellow eyes to look into Zera's green ones. However, Zera glanced between us, and I noticed a pleading look in her eyes. I realized that Zera Kolav was very confused.

"Yes, Zera, we are acquainted," she told Zera, who glanced from her to me again.

"Why are you hurting him?" Zera asked her. This time, there was no sneer on the woman's face, and I saw it grow dark. Somehow, standing in the light of day, there was something more horrible about her. Now, she wasn't a shade in my dreams any more but a living being.

"You see," she began slowly to speak again, and each word seemed to make my ears bleed, "Your armor has also been nicknamed the jackal armor. You see, I have some knowledge of dogs, and I believe Cye does, too."

That last words were an arrow through my heart, and Zera shot me a questioning gaze. "What are you saying? I don't get it."

"Zera, don't listen to her! She's . . ."

_'__You are mine_!' Her voice screamed inside my head, and I felt my body collapse. I caught myself against a tree and slid down along the trunk as I struggled to stand. I jabbed my yari into the ground, and it gave me something with which to keep myself standing. I cleared my vision, which had gone blurry for a moment and scowled back at her.

". . . you Zera," she had been talking, but I hadn't caught the words. However, Zera looked anxious now, but she was trying to soothe her. Obviously, I had come along to ruin the plan. "Do you want to know how Cye deceived you?"

"He came here to help me," Zera said as she looked at me for support. I nodded, but then, she spoke before I could respond.

"He will still tell you nothing," she hissed, and Zera's mouth fell open slightly as she shook her head.

"Cye tells me the truth," Zera muttered as she looked back over at the woman. Zera looked like she would take a step towards me, and I struggled to regain my strength, but that witch looked at me again. Those eye eyes sent another roll of pain through my body, and I ground my teeth together.

"Does he? Tell her, Cye, why you did not go to the party. Yes, Cye, tell her the truth," she sneered, and Zera froze. She just looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"How about you tell her, sorceress!" I spat her.

_'And that is what I am, and now, I shall work my greatest magic when Zera of Yami destroys you!'_

She screamed into my head, and I writhed in pain as I fell down upon the ground. I was still leaning against the tree, and I clutched my yari with a death grip. I couldn't hear anything, but I forced myself to focus. Dear gods, she was going to take Zera!

". . . is in him. Is that not right, Cye?" she said, but I had missed what she had told Zera. However, only shock flashed across Zera's face.

"What . . . did she tell you?" I said, but my voice was weak. It took effort to speak, but when Zera turned to me, she looked reproachful.

"She said you lied. She told me you've been hiding a secret. She said there was something . . . evil in you," Zera told me. "Is it true?"

"It's from her! You can't believe her!" I shouted, but Zera only shook her head.

"She's told me more about my armor than anyone. She said she'd help me use it," Zera said, but she wasn't speaking to me any more. She stared off into space, as if contemplating something.

"Zera, she's a liar! She . . ."

'_Fool!'_

The word burned through my mind, and I felt my jaw clamp shut to keep from crying out in pain. She fixed me with that wicked stare again, and then, she told Zera, "If he will not tell you the truth, then I must do it. He is not an armor bearer. He is a beast. He is a werewolf, Zera. He has kept that from you for over a month. And you trust this person? You call him friend?"

Zera snapped to attention, and she gaze down at me. "Deny it," she whispered. Tears, from the pain the sorceress was causing me, but also from guilt, dripped down my cheek. I shook my head as my insides turned numb.

"It's true," I whispered. Zera only gazed emotionlessly at me, but in her blank face, there was something worse than anger or rage. Her eyes were numb, and it seemed she looked through me.

"Come," the witch told Zera in a soft, soothing voice, "I will not lie to you. It is your nature to bend those you cannot trust to your will. I will show you how."

I went to scream, but for a moment, she fixed me with that ferocious, yellow-eyed gaze. _'You are mine! She is mine!'_

I let go of my yari and slumped down upon the ground. I couldn't move my body. I felt like I was crushed under a mountain. I looked helplessly as Zera turned back towards her.

She held out her hands. "Come. Swear that you will honor my teachings. Give your allegiance to me."

I couldn't fight that horror I saw. The tears streamed down my face. I had lost my friend. I had failed to save her, but worst of all, she knew my dirty secret. She loathed me for it, and now, this witch would have her. Her armor would fall into evil again.

A bold of light cut between Zera and the sorceress as Zera began to stretch a hand towards her. Then, I heard the clanging, and that weight that had been on my chest lifted. I panted and gasped as I struggled to move, but I was still too weak.

The sorceress let out a feral growl as she retreated back to the shadowed place she had been when I first saw her. The staff's noise seemed to fill the entire forest, and she put her hands over her ears and shrieked. However, Zera simply stared at the staff for a moment and dropped her helmet. Then, she fell to her knees in front of it. From there, like some lifeless dummy, she toppled over on her side and lay sprawled on the ground.

I heard footfalls on the forest floor, and soon, Kayura raced into the clearing. Behind her came Ryo, who stopped and gazed dumbly down at the unconscious Zera. Then, from the other direction, I heard more footsteps.

The sorceress looked around with a sour expression on her face. Then, she locked my eyes with a hate filled gazed before she melted into the shadows.

"Zera! Zera!"

I recognized Nakeisha's voice, and soon, I was the Gen armor rush over and kneel down beside the conscious Zera. So, I thought, we hadn't seen the Gen Masho and the Yami Masho on the motorcycle, but instead, we had seen Zera and Nakeisha.

"Zera! Wake up! Look at me! Zera! What's wrong! _Zera_!" Nakeisha began to plead with her friend and shake her shoulders.

"Give her space!" Kayura demanded as she rushed over and grabbed the staff out of the ground with one hand. Then, she knelt down by Zera.

"Nakeisha, let her go. Kayura will help her," Seiji said as he rushed over and pried Nakeisha away from Zera. Nakeisha was violently shaking, and Seiji put his hands on her shoulders to quiet her.

"Dude, what happened?" Kento said as he came over to me. "You okay, buddy?"

"Not really," I whispered. "Help me up."

"Sure thing," Ryo muttered. Kento and Ryo lifted me up together, and I remained hanging between them with one arm slung around each of their shoulders. Kento reached over and yanked my yari out of the ground.

"Zera," Kayura whispered as she passed her hand over Zera's face. Then, she lowered the staff and let the rings rest only inches from Zera's nose. The began to jingle, and Kayura said, in a soft, soothing voice, "Zera. Zera of Yami. Come back. Do not go into a darkness from which you cannot return. Come back to us."

Then, the rings stopped clinging, and Zera gasped. I saw relief flood through Kayura's tense body as she removed the staff from in front of Zera. Now, Nakeisha did rush away from Seiji to sit by Zera's side. Kayura helped Zera sit up, but Zera just stared dumbly around the clearing as if she didn't know any of us.

"Zera! It's Nakiesha! Are you okay?" Nakeisha asked as she looked into Zera's face. Zera blinked a couple times, but her gaze slowly focused in on Nakeisha's face.

"Nakeisha? What are you doing here?" Zera muttered.

"You crashed the bike!" Nakeisha exclaimed. "I couldn't get away to follow you!"

"Oh," Zera's mouth formed the word, and then, she looked over at Kayura. She simply gazed at the Ancient's Heir, and I wondered if she would say anything at all, but then, Zera muttered, "It was you I heard."

"Yes, it was," Kayura told her. "I am Lady Kayura, and it is good to meet you Zera of Yami."

"But, as good as this all is," Ryo interrupted from my side, "Rowen and N'deki are still being attacked back at the manor! We need to go!"

"N'deki? Whoa! What did we miss?" Kento asked.

"She's got an armor, too," Ryo said as he motioned for Kento to swing me around so we could go in the right direction. By this time, I had recovered myself enough to be able to limp along between the two of them. I didn't see Seiji, Kayura, Zera, or Nakeisha following us, yet, but I was sure they were just getting Zera off the ground.

In my mind, I tried to picture petit N'deki wearing an armor. I had to admit, the scene was comical. Something less amusing was why the girls had the armors in the first place. Clearly, we had missed something. I felt a pang of guilt because I felt that maybe our splitting up again had caused the disorder that happened today. In my mind, I saw Zera topple over and fall to the ground again. She seemed so lifeless.

Then, we had reached the manor. I gasped when I saw that the upstairs windows had mostly been broken. Ryo removed my arm from his shoulder and race through the open front door. I looked over at Kento, who handed me back my yari.

"You going to be okay?" he asked. I tried to stand, but my legs were still weak.

"I don't know if I'm up for fighting," I muttered, and then added, "but take me in the house. I could sit it out on the couch."

Kento smirked. "I might not fight in the house just yet. You should see the mess I made of the driveway."

Then, White Blaze's trumpeting growl came from inside the house. I looked at Kento, and he helped me through the door, although with his support, I could walk now. We went into the kitchen, and I leaned against the table. In the living room, I saw Rowen shooting numerous arrows into a couple of the armored giants I had seen in the woods. The sliding door, which was glass and led to the back yard, had been completely shattered.

Kento snarled as he unhooked his tetsubo into three pieces. "If my video games are broken, there's going to be hell to pay!"

As Kento joined the fray, I realized I heard noise upstairs, too. I looked at the steps and began to stagger up them with my yari as support. When I reached the top, I realized the loud crash came from the study. I heard White Blaze's growl come from that direction, too. Then, I heard another noise in my bedroom.

Before I got to my room, a purple harpy darted out of Seiji and Rowen's bedroom. I almost attacked, but then, the Oni armor bearer, which I had to assume was N'deki, rushed out after the harpy. They both ignored me as they darted into my bedroom.

"Help!" I heard Mia scream, and then, I quickened my pace. When I reached the door, the harpy was grappling with one of the giant creatures, and N'deki threw her kusari-gama into one of the bear riders that stood over Mia.

"Get away!" Yuli screamed, and I saw he had dove under the bed to prevent the one giant creature from picking him up. He belly crawled back out, and I saw he dangled the jewel of life from his hand. The bear rider, however, had turned to face N'deki, and with a blow, sent her flying across the room. In the process, the blow removed N'deki's helmet.

I raised my yari and went to attack the giant that had the harpy. I squatted down and aimed up for the throat, and because it was distracted, I got my shot. The creature crumpled to the floor, but when I looked over at Mia, her shirt was covered in blood.

I heard the grating of metal on metal. N'deki raised her sickle to stop the blow of the rider's massive no-dachi from slamming into her face. The rider scowled, and I lunged at it with my yari. The rider turned to parry my blow, and N'deki got away from it.

"I'll help," I heard N'deki whisper. As the rider pressed down on me, I knew I couldn't stop it for long, but the harpy was there, and when she flung herself at the rider, I had enough time to try for a killing thrust.

The rider was very quick. Before I knew what happened, it had dodged the blow and rushed over to where N'deki was kneeling. I saw her head turn, and then, I watched as she snapped backwards and landed on the ground.

Blood began to gush from the cut that went from her forehead to the back of her neck. I knew head wounds bled a lot, but I had never seen someone severely injured in the head. Mia started to cry for help, and then, there was a blur of red as Ryo charged through the door. He stopped the rider and battled it until it retreated out the window.

By then, the carpet was soaked with blood, and N'deki stared vacantly up at the ceiling. Yuli ran over and huddled by Mia, who was screaming for help at the top of her lungs. I heard the pounding on the stairs, and I pushed myself against the wall to make room.

Rowen and Kento came through the door first. Kento's jaw fell open at the sight of N'deki on the floor. Rowen ran back out in the hall and shouted, "Kayura! _Kayura_! Get up here! _She's bleeding out_!"

Rowen reentered the room with Kayura at his heals. As Kayura ran in, she let out a shriek that I'd only heard before in horror movies. Zera and Nakeisha came in next, both cradling their helmets in their arms. Seiji stood behind them, and all three stood at the door and viewed the grizzly scene.

"Help me!" Kayura called as she knelt over N'deki.

"Here," Yuli said as he handed Kayura the Jewel of Life. Kayura took it from his hand and placed it into one of her hands. Then, she grabbed the staff with one hand while she put the other hand on N'deki's back and pulled her off the floor.

"Come here!" Kayura's voice was high and pleading, "_Help me_!"

Seiji stepped forward first and placed one hand on Kayura's shoulder. Kayura bent over N'deki and pressed the staff to her chest. The staff began to glow, and Nakiesha and Zera, like two shadows, came over and each put a hand on Kayura. Then, Rowen and Ryo joined them. Finally, Kento and I came over and put our hands on Ryo, since there was no more room around Kayura.

I felt the energy being pulled from me, and I felt the staff draw it out of my armor. Kayura was channeling all our power through her so the staff and the Jewel could heal N'deki. I watched her as she rocked and swayed slightly while she concentrated. The staff kept growing brighter, and as its power grew, I felt my legs become shaky. I was too weak for this, but I kept hold of Ryo all the same.

I didn't know how long it took, but Kayura finally removed the staff from N'deki. The staff returned to normal, and I pulled away from Ryo and plopped down on Kento's bed in a cold sweat. Kayura still held N'deki with her other hand, and she didn't seem like she wanted to move.

"She'll live," Rowen muttered to break the silence, "but she's lost a lot of blood. She's going to need to go to the hospital. Kayura, can you remove her armor?"

"I'll drive her. Someone will need to carry her, though, since the jeep is parked down below the crater in my driveway," Mia said, and then, she glanced down at her shirt. "I'm going to change, first. N'deki can wear some of my clothes, too."

"I'll take her," Ryo said, and I realized he'd already taken off his armor. He reached down and took N'deki from Kayura, who had already removed N'deki's full armor.

"I want to come!" Yuli said as Mia went to exit the room. However, Mia only shook her head.

"No, everyone else should stay and rest." She glanced between all of us, and then, she looked down at Kayura, but Kayura only kept staring off into the pool of blood. Mia glanced around and met the eyes of everyone else in the room, though, as if she wanted this point to be perfectly clear to us. Mia cleared her throat before she spoke again.

"This isn't over, you know. There are nine armors, and I see only eight."

It was all Mia needed to say, and when she left, with Ryo on her heals, the rest of us seemed frozen. I stared down at my feet, not really wanting to look around at anybody yet. Out of all the things I had seen today, watching N'deki loose all that blood had been the most disturbing. Then, the truth was, this wasn't over at all.

A/N: I hope that satisfied some battle cravings. I really liked the idea of Zera, Nakeisha, and the motorcycle. It seemed like something Zera would do, and it added some style to their escape scene. There was never anything said in the series about the orbs looking special, but I thought they might, so I added that, too. Once again, I prefer the Japanese names for the seasonal armors.

For GS: I hope this answered the Cye/sorceress question. Cye's werewolf plot isn't over yet, but every time you asked about Cye and the sorceress, I kept thinking of this scene because this was a staple in that plot for quite a while. While the sorceress can't control Cye's spirit, she does have a degree of physical control over him. Zera is also now involved, so that's a nasty little twist that's going to cause problems. Also, the nameless sorceress is coming back later, and someone else will get to see her in action. Eventually, many of these characters in this chapter and previous chapters will get names! (Including the goddess.)

I was actually going to have the Warlords killed right in front of Kayura at the cave, but that was too simple in the end. What is the fate of the Warlords? Whatever it is, I hope the previous chapter drove one point home: the Ronins aren't keen to save them, so they're not getting any direct help from them.

I've written other random parts of this story, and once again, it's a quest of stringing them all together. So, until then, enjoy.


	27. The Ninth Armor

**The Ninth Armor**

(Rowen)

I waited in the kitchen until I couldn't hear the sound of the car any more. When they left, I became aware of all the wreckage. The bodies of the creatures lay everywhere, and the house also lay in pieces like it, too, was a corpse that had been dismembered during the fight.

I moved to go upstairs again to get help to clean this place, and when I entered the room, it reminded me of a wax museum. No one had really moved from his or her spot. Kayura still knelt over the pool of blood. Seiji, Zera, and Nakeisha stood in their little cluster. Kento stared dumbly down at Kayura while Cye propped himself up on his yari. Ariel stayed huddled in a corner, while Yuli, still half under the bed, stayed silent and motionless for probably the longest time in his life.

Their silence affected me, too, and I forgot to speak for a while. That is, until I realized they had me under their stupefying power. "Well, this is nice and all, but this place is a wreck."

No one moved. I raised my eyebrows and looked at them all again. "Really, you aren't all statues. All of us are tired. Some of us need rest, and the rest of us need to clean this place. There are bodies down stairs."

"Is it cursed?"

Everyone turned their gaze to Kayura, who had finally spoken. I had to look at her because I wasn't sure if she had actually spoken because she still remained otherwise motionless. "What? What's cursed?" Kento asked her.

"This is the second time. Her heart stopped before, when she healed Ariel," Kayura explained, and I understood. She meant the Oni armor. Was it cursed? The thought sent a chill down my spine. It seemed, in a way, it had been the armor that had killed Anubis. The power it took to use the armor to free Kayura had killed him, and it wasn't so different from how N'deki used her power to save Ariel and Mia.

"Kayura, don't think that way," Seiji said, his voice soft and low. "The Oni armor isn't any different than our armors. They're all cast from the same mold. You know this."

"Next time . . . next time, it may be too much," Kayura whispered, and I heard her voice on the brink of tears

"Don't think that way!" Kento took a halting step forward. "Kayura, you saved her. It's fine. She'll get better." Kento put his hand on Kayura's shoulder, which caused her to snap her head up to see him.

She nodded, and I could see the tears trapped in her eyes. I didn't know what it took her to hold those back, and I realized I didn't want to know. Kayura's pain was her own, and I couldn't do anything to help it. Her fear about the armor was her fear, and I tried to convince myself it was unfounded and not my own fear.

"You said there were bodies down stairs," Seiji said, picking up the conversation I started when I entered the room.

"Yeah, they didn't all disappear. It's different . . ." I stopped myself before I said 'than the Dynasty soldiers' because I realized Nakeisha and Zera didn't know about the Dynasty. I realized I didn't want to tell them yet.

"So, let's go," Kento said as he took off his armor and walked over to me. "I'll take care of my holes in the driveway."

"This is true," Seiji replied as he, too, took off his armor. Turning to Zera and Nakeisha, Seiji told them, "I want the two of you to go and get some rest. You need it."

At first, neither of them responded, and I became afraid they would argue the point. "We'll do it," Nakeisha said after a moment. "Just tell us where to shower and lay down."

"This way," Seiji replied as he led them from the room. "What can I do to help?" Yuli yelped as he scurried from under the bed.

"You may watch the staff," Kayura replied as she rose from the floor. "I need to rest."

"Great idea," Kento said as he waited for Kayura to get up. She walked to the door, and I noticed her slow, purposeful steps. I wondered how exhausted she had to be, and I realized all the work she had been doing since she left us several days ago.

Yuli and Ariel followed Kento and Kayura, and now, the room seemed almost normal again, except for several things. First, the blood stain stood as the most ominous reminder of what happened, and of course, all the little debris lay scattered everywhere, but the biggest, glaring sign of all the damage was Cye.

He had yet to move. He propped himself against his yari, and I realized he might not have the strength to move. Hesitantly, I walked over and slung one of his arms over my shoulders so I could help him sit on the bed.

"Thanks," Cye muttered as he licked his lips to keep them wet. I frowned, wishing I could stop the twisting in my gut. I had a feeling it was guilt, and I was sure I deserved to feel like slim, but I still wanted the feeling to go away. However, I couldn't think of anything useful to say.

Instead, I settled for something practical. "You should take your armor off. Relax, you know."

Cye nodded, and then, he looked up at me with bloodshot eyes. "Yeah. Good point. I wish I could help more."

"No, it's under control. You've been through a lot." I looked down at my hands because I can't look at Cye anymore. He looks worn and a thinner, less healthy version of himself.

"I'm sorry about what happened," I tell him while still looking at my hands. "You deserved better than how I reacted."

There is silence, and I peer up at Cye because I can't tell if he's still angry with me. His look is vacant, though, and he looks off into the distance. Instead of being angry, it seems Cye can't feel anything. Somehow, that hurts more than his anger.

However, he takes his armor off, but he doesn't look at me. "I never knew how to respond. You, Seiji, Ryo, and Kento are better at this than I am. I just react. Do what I feel. It's usually wrong."

I shake my head, but I don't know what to say. "It's not wrong. Your emotions make your armor strong."

Cye grimaces at this, and I realize I should just go, so I stand up. "Sure," he mutters as he fumbles his way under the covers. Then, as I'm walking out, he says, "Thanks, Rowen. Sorry I'm useless right now."

I turn and give a strained smile as I shut the door. Outside the door, I keep walking to go clean the manor, but Cye is on my mind. I don't know how to help him, and I'm afraid I've caused most of his problems. What scares me is that I can't solve them. There is no equation to make Cye healthy and happy again. I can't go and invent something or do some experiment to heal him.

"Do you want me to start outside?" Seiji asks me. I snap out of my thoughts to see him gesturing around at the mess in the living room.

"Yeah, I'll meet you outside."

I begin to drag the creatures out of the manor. One after another, I drag them to a clearing in the woods where Seiji is also brining bodies. The sun sinks low, and when the first evening stars come out, we're done with the job.

Kento, Seiji, and I meet at the pile of bodies in the forest. Kento tosses something on the pile. "Well, that's the last I could find," he replies.

"Well, I hope the woods is clear," Seiji replies. I pull the stopper off the canister of kerosene and pour it over the bodies. Then, I hear the scrap of Kento lighting a match. I see the little spark tossed into the air, and when it hits, the entire pile erupts in a blaze.

The three of us back up and stand at a safe distance, but I can still feel the heart through my armor. And of course, we can't escape the smell of burning flesh. "You know, these aren't the Dynasty soldiers," Kento says.

"Yeah, I realized that earlier, and it got me thinking about something else." I look between Kento and Seiji. "You know, we can't tell the girls about the Warlords. I mean, how can we explain the Dynasty to them right now?"

Seiji nods. "This is true. I don't think now is the right time to tell them about the former armor bearers."

"I was thinking on broader terms," I tell them. Seiji cocks his head slightly to ask what I mean. "Well, a lot of things have happened to each of us. I don't think any of us are ready to hear the entire story yet."

"What do you mean? I want to know what happened to you guys, too," Kento says, but Seiji simply shakes his head to Kento's protests.

"You don't want to know?" Kento asks Seiji. "I want to know what happened to them."

"Rowen is right. It's not time. We need to find that last armor," Seiji tells Kento, and I nod in agreement. "Whatever has happened is secondary in importance right now. We have to save the last bearer. I feel we've come too close to losing the other three girls. It can't happen again."

"Yeah, and why have all the armor bearers been women?" Kento asks.

"Well, maybe the armors are ready to be worn by women," I suggest half-heartedly. "I don't know, Kento. Maybe Kayura will have a magic answer for that, too."

"I want to know why the Warlords don't have the armors," Seiji asks, and I avoid his gaze.

"Some things are best told by Kayura," I reply, and I can almost hear the questions in Kento's head. "Let's just agree to keep everything focused until we're all together again."

(Nilla)

The TV flickers its wane light across the room. The color turns Lily's skin pale blue, and the way it cast her as such a pale, lifeless thing makes me uneasy. Am I over paranoid? Yes, probably, and she fell asleep almost half an hour ago.

I stand up and flick off the TV because I can't find the remote. Then, I come over and pull a blanket over myself. Lily sleeps on one couch, and I sleep on the smaller divan. In the darkness, I can only hear my own heartbeat.

_Lub dub lub dub_.

I roll onto my back and star up into the blackness, but the streetlights keep the house lit with even minimal light even at the darkest part of the night. In the city, I am aware we'll never see true darkness.

Except, I realized, that day all the lights went out.

Wait, how did I know the power went out? Rowen never told me about that happening, but I was completely certain that it did happen.

I go to sit up, but I find I remain frozen in my chair. The sound rushes away, and in the darkness, I fall into one of those tunnels. Then, I see someone walking towards me. If I could say something or utter any noise, I would.

I remain mute as I watch myself, arrayed in a brown metal body suit, walking towards me. She, this other me, seems to saunter over to me. She perches at the edge of the couch and stares down at me.

"Why so afraid? You've been waiting for me," she replies in a soft voice that really doesn't sound like my own. She sounds too confident and too welcoming at the same moment. She seems on the verge of smiling but she only laughs at me with her eyes.

I want to tell her to stop mocking me. "Quiet, girl, you knew I was coming. Do you not know me? I am your strong side. I am your virtue and the one that will damn you. I _am_ you."

I want to tell her she is wrong about that last part. Yes, I realize I have been waiting for something like this. I have been waiting for my visions to go away or become clearer, and here she sits, as real as another thing of flesh and blood.

Now, her face splits into a coy grin. She stands up and walks up beside me. Towering over me, she radiates strength I can feel in my very core. "You can deny me, but doing so will only deny your destiny. You may need this before it's over."

Something cold and hard drops into my hand. I stretch out my palm and star down at a tiny orb. The kanji _tei_ glimmers on it for a moment, and I feel a warm sensation on my forehead.

I come out of my vision, but I am still unable to speak. It was one of the armors. I realize I hold one of the armors. It is like Rowen's armor, but it isn't the same. The virtues bind the armors, and I know what _tei_ means.

I am to be obedient to my elders. My gut turns as I think of the version of myself I have seen. Who is she? Is _she_ my elder? Then, if I have to ask the question, I realize I probably already know the answer.

(Rowen)

This morning, we transformed the living room into a conference room for our impromptu war counsel. On the couch sits Zera, Nakeisha, and Seiji while White Blaze sits by Seiji's feet. Yuli leans against the tiger, and I'm glad Yuli had been fairly quiet this morning.

Ariel took the only chair left, because the other ones were destroyed, and she drapes her wings over the back like a cape. On the floor sits Kento, Cye, and I, and even though we're all along the same wall, Cye sits slightly apart.

And, of course, there is the main attraction. Kayura is sitting in the middle of the room, staff across her lap, eyes closed, and meditating on finding the last armor.

We've sat in silence for a while, just waiting for Kayura to open her eyes and say something. Anything. The rest of us want to find the last armor, but I know it's more important to Kayura. It's her job as the Ancient's heir to be our protector and helper, and maybe none of us have any idea how much all of this is testing her.

While Kayura meditates, I decide it's as good of time as any to tell everyone else about our grand plan not to tell each other anything for a while. "So, last night, we came to a decision," I begin as I look at Nakeisha and Zera, "We're not going to be sharing stories of what's happening for a while. We need all the armors together, first."

"By 'we,' you mean you. So, you're saying it's okay to leave us out because we're new?" Nakeisha asks. I sigh and shake my head.

"If you would stop being defensive, you would hear I said that this is temporary," I reply. "The last armor is more important."

"That's just how it goes for now," Kento says, but I can tell that he's only making things worse.

"Yes, that's how it goes because we're 'inexperienced' and 'can't handle it,' right?" Nakeisha snaps as she begins to get on her defensive train.

"We're not telling each other anything, either," Seiji replies. "And some of this needs to be told by different people. It's not a short story, Nakeisha, and Rowen is right. Now, we need to focus because that's what is important. The truth is important, yes, but the truth is never nice or clean, and it often makes you confused. Right now, we need focus and not complications."

Seiji's words pacify Nakeisha, but I'm surprised Zera didn't protest, either. I see the same numbness in her that I saw in Cye last night. However, it could be just the shock of the armor, and Zera always tends to be more silent than the rest of us.

I hear the staff jangle, and I look up to see Kayura open her eyes. "It is no good," she says with a sigh. "I cannot find the Doku armor."

"Then how do we find it?" I ask.

Kayura looks down into her lap. "Let us think. What happened when you found the other three armors?"

"Well, they just came to us," Nakeisha replies.

"No, tell me what happened when you were attacked. Rowen came to N'deki first, and Ryo and I followed later," Kayura says to clarify what she means.

"Seiji and Kento found me," Nakeisha supplies a different answer. "Seiji is the one who repelled their leader, I guess."

"Yes," Seiji replies, and then, we wait to hear from Zera. Zera doesn't look like she wants to move or like she heard what we even said.

"I came upon Zera," Cye mutters, and Zera's head snaps over to look at him for a moment. Awkwardness passes between them, and Zera turns away to stare off into space again.

However, this seems to be all Kayura needs to hear. "So, each of you found the armors. It seems that there may be a connection between you and the new bearers."

"Really?" I ask. "I didn't know N'deki."

"True, but we knew Zera and Nakeisha," Seiji replies. "That is a good point. Each of us has known the new bearers. Several of us are good friends with Nakeisha and Zera, so maybe we're looking for someone else with whom we're close."

"That could be a lot of people," I reply. "How about we start with girls we know because that's who the armors seem to be preferring."

"How about Kaede," Kento suggests, and I can't stop the grimace from flashing over my face. Seiji and Kayura each give me a look.

"I think it's safe to say I don't like her much anymore," I reply. "I can't see her having an armor. It just feels wrong."

"That's just because you don't like her," Kento points out, but I shake my head. It just doesn't feel right, but I don't want to argue the point with Kento unless people start siding with him.

However, the group swings in my direction. "No, I think Rowen is right," Seiji says. "I can't see Kaede with the armor. I don't like the idea, either, but let's think of other people before we decide upon Kaede."

There is a pause, and then, Seiji says the thought that started to form in my mind. "What about Nilla and Lily?"

"Lily? No," Cye replied quickly, and I watch the grimace pass across his face. However, Nakeisha only laughs at the suggestion. "Not Lily. Her having an armor is more than slightly ridiculous."

"True," Seiji replies, "but Nilla is a real possibility. She has been involved with us since the shape shifter, and Rowen did tell her."

"Tell her what?" Nakeisha asks.

"I told her that all of this existed because she got involved, okay?" I reply to Nakeisha, who I can see is getting irritated again.

"Seriously? We're involved, but you told her before us, and she doesn't have an armor?" Nakeisha snaps, and Seiji turns to her to calm her down again.

"It was a different situation. There wasn't any of this pressure, and now, I think Nilla might have the Doku armor." Seiji says those words out loud, and I feel my blood freeze for a moment.

"I don't like the idea of Nilla with the Doku armor," I reply.

"You don't like the idea of anyone else with an armor, do you?" Kento quips.

"That's not it. It's just that, well, it's Nilla. I don't like it," I reply. I think of kissing Nilla and wrapping my arms around her. Now, instead of seeing her as Nilla, I'm picturing her in the armor, and the thought frightens me.

"No, it's different," Kayura says, and I look over at her when she begins to speak. Our gazes meet, and I know she has an idea of what I actually mean. "Rowen, you are uncomfortable with Nilla having the armor. It seems she may have it. She has been involved, and it's _you_ who brought her into this."

"Maybe that's why I don't like it," I say, and I realize it's part of the truth. If my telling Nilla about us put her in greater danger, I'm to blame if they take her to harm her.

It's then that the phone rings. I get up to answer it. "Hello?"

"This is Ryo."

"Hey, it's Rowen. We've been discussing," I tell him.

Ryo laughs over the line. "That's Rowen talk for getting things done, right?"

"Yeah," I chuckle. "What's happening?"

"N'deki's fine. We're going to leave the hospital soon."

"That's great, but I've got not so great news for you," I reply. "We think it's Nilla."

There's a pause of silence on the other end of the line. "Really? Nilla?"

I nod, even though I know Ryo can't see that gesture. "Yeah. Nilla."

"I don't like that," Ryo replies. I can't tell him how much I agree with him. "Are you sure?"

"No, but could you go look for her since you're already in Toyoma?" I ask. "We'll call her house and come to you soon."

(Nilla)

Lily and I walked silently beside each other. We finished our duty at the clinic much earlier today, but neither of us wanted to go home. Somehow, going back would make it more real, and I knew that was the last thing either of us really wanted, too. Coming home and really admitting to the fact that Lily was too young to care for a child would be too much.

We walk together in silence, and since we've gotten off the bus, it's just been the two of us meandering us around town. Now, we take a turn for a path that leads through Wisteria Park. The two of us are usually so comfortable in each other's presence, but I realize I don't know what to say now that Lily is silent. I'm not used to her silence. I miss her chatter, but I realize that today has changed her, and my gut twists when I think maybe, just maybe, it's permanent.

I let my mind drift back to my other problem. I finger the armor orb in my pocket, and I want to steal a look at it in the daylight. I pause because I can see her face in my mind again. I can see that version of myself.

I pause my steps, and Lily keeps walking ahead of me. Then, I give into temptation and pull it out to stare at it. In the light, it mesmerizes me because it looks like it is swirling liquid. I gasp because, for a moment, I expect to feel my hands become wet because it doesn't look solid any more.

"What's wrong?" Lily asks, and I feel a cold sweat break on my forehead. I hear her gasp. She's seen it. "What is that?"

"It's an armor orb," I mutter. "I don't know what to do with it. Well, I do, but I can't bring myself to do it."

"What do you do with it?" Lily asks as she comes over to stare dumbly down at the orb with me. However, she doesn't touch it, but I look up to see her face in complete wonder. "It's so beautiful."

"You would say that," I whisper, "but it's just as life changing as what happened to you. Once I use it, I can't go back. I'm forever changed."

I look up and try to meet Lily's eyes, but she's still transfixed by the orb. Her hand reaches out timidly, and she strokes it. A small gasps escapes her lips when the _tei_ sparks to life. I watch her, in complete awe, and some part of me feels guilty. This is my gift. Why am I so afraid of it while she loves it?

"Nilla, if you don't want to wear it, that's fine," Lily whispers, and then, confusion passes over her face. "Wear it? Wait, why did I say that?"

I look up at my friend, and this time, she does meet my gaze. I'm as confused as she is. "Yes, I wear it, but how did you know?"

Lily shrugs. "I-I don't know. Nilla, I really don't know."

The two of us just stare at each other, the armor orb between us. I can't say how she knew, and she can't, either, but both of us know that I could wear it. However, I can't say what will happen once I do wear it, but I know I'm meant to don it. It's only a matter of time for me.

"Ah, I see you already have it."

The voice is silky, and I spin my head around to see what I mistake for a woman clad in a bikini standing behind me. Then, I look at her again and realize something that makes me back away from her.

She has four arms. Now, I can see her bikini is made of metal, and she wears elaborate gold and silver jewelry all over her body. I look into her orange eyes, and somehow, I'm not surprised that she is bald, too.

"Put it on. Come girl, it is time," she says coolly as she draws two swords – one for each of her upper arms.

"Nilla . . ."

Whatever Lily says, I don't hear because I grasp my orb and power pulses through my body. I feel my body shimmer like I'm only made of water droplets, and then, I look down to see my hands and arms covered in the brown metal plating.

"Not good enough. Let me help you," the woman replies. She charges at me and slams me in the chest. I try to strike back, but she smacks me with one of her free arms. She beats on me until, finally, I fall onto the pavement.

I gasp and wipe a trickle of blood from the edge of my mouth. "Nilla! Nilla!" Lily has begun to scream, and I look up to see her run at the woman. One of the free arms reaches out and pulls Lily close to her. Lily screams even louder until the other free arm covers her mouth.

"Now, let me see, if I kill her, will you put on the armor?"

She raises the sword to Lily's throat. "Stop! What do you want?"

"Put on the full armor," she replies. The blade is precariously close to Lily's throat. I can see it slipping into her skin in moments, and I feel panic rising in me.

"I don't know how!" I shout. "I don't know! Let her go!"

"Do it," she snaps. Now, I'm getting angry with her impatience. Then, behind the woman, I see my other self. The sound is gone again, and when I gasp, I don't even hear my own voice.

"Fight her," the other me whispers. "Dao Tei."

The world floods back to me, and now, I squeeze my hands together over the orb. "Dao Tei!"

The words don't fail, and I can feel a pulsing in my forehead. Power floods me, and now, I'm wearing a bulkier green and red suit of armor. A facemask slides over my face, and Lily's eyes widen at my change.

I don't hesitate. I draw a sword and charge her. She throws Lily to the side and engages me. However, she is strong, and there is a scent about her that's making my vision blur. I keep blinking it away, and when I do, I feel my armor pulse again with life.

"Too good," she mutters. Then, I feel a smack across the back of my head. I sprawl down on the pavement, and she stands over me. I struggle up, but something cold and wet hits my neck, and everything spins before it disappears.

A/N:july 08: so, it's been a while, to say the least. I'm going to run the proof read a couple days after I post this. Anyway, I actually went and wrote a lot of things that happen much later in the story. And then, my computer decided it wanted to delete some files. Also, life has been busy with rowing, injuries, school, and work. But do not fear. I finally figured a couple of characters out, so I can write this part of the story that has been giving me trouble for almost, literally, a year. Also, proof reading is my friend. This chapter is done, so feel free to comment. Thanks much, MorganRay.


	28. The Power of Poison

**The Power of Poison**

(Ryo)

My face pressed against the jeep window as Mia drove down the street leading to Lily's house. We had already gone to Nilla's house, and she wasn't there. Could she really have the Doku armor? I didn't really doubt it, but it made me all the more eager to find her.

I didn't trust that armor, and coupled with the fact that there were people after her, I felt we'd already ran out of time. How lucky had we gotten to find all the other three armors before anything too bad could happen?

I wanted to say our luck had been almost too good. Then, I saw we were on Lily's street. "This house," I told Mia. She stopped the jeep, and I ran out to knock on the door. No answer. "Lily!"

No sound came from inside the house. I ran around it and knocked on windows. I peered through some of them, and everything in the house looked lifeless and silent. I jogged back over to the jeep and hopped in it.

"Not there," I said.

"Well, where are they?" Mia muttered and ran her hand through her hair. "Let's get back to the manor."

She pulled away from the house and turned down another street. I looked out the window and realized we were driving by Wisteria Park. My mind pulled me back into the last time we had been here. It was with the Ancient, and it was then, when he spoke to us about the armors, about our destiny, that I knew something was wrong. It was the last time we'd seen him before he sacrificed himself.

"This park has a past," N'deki muttered. I snap my head back towards her as she stares out the window. I can see that she's seeing another scene as well, and something makes me think it actually might be the same one.

"You weren't there," I remind her. She nods slowly in agreement.

"But I saw it. My armor was there," she replies, and I remember what she's said about her dreams. A shiver races down my spine. Yes, she's seen this park, too.

In that moment, I feel something flit around behind me. It's that dark shadow again, but this time, the strength of it increases. "Mia! Get off the road!"

I put on my sub-armor as I shout. Then, there is a crash in front of us. Something has darted into the pavement, but Mia began to swerve to the side when I yelled several moments ago. We miss whatever came down for us. I open the door and roll out of the jeep. I come out of my tuck-and-roll and run over to Wisteria Park.

By this point, the jeep is safely on the other side of the road, but there is a crater in the concrete where the attacker meant to hit us.

I have no time to gape at the hole in the road. I feel something above me, and I dart away as another attack comes where I last stood.

"Ryo!" Mia shouts as she runs across the street with N'deki in tow. At least N'deki has her sub armor on her, but I want her to put her full armor on because she's going to need it. "Ryo, are you okay?"

I nod to Mia, but turn to N'deki. "Put your armor on because they're here."

"Dao Chi!"

"Dao Jin!"

I felt the shadow flit above me again, and I rolled out of the way as the attack came faster than I could react. I pulled myself up again, and N'deki ran to my side. "What was that?"

I poised myself, both katana in hand now, waiting for that familiar shadow to fall across my mind. When it did, I prepared myself and went to meet it. However, instead of going for me, the dark figure leapt over me and went for N'deki.

I struck at it, but it hit N'deki, who had luckily raised her kursai-gama in defense. I heard her cry out, but when I struck at the attacker, it darted away again. "Are you okay?" I asked N'deki, and she shook her head.

I noticed her right arm hung limply at her side. "It hit my arm, and I can't move it," she muttered through gritted teeth as she gripped her weapon in her left hand.

I felt it again and spun around to counter the attack. My katana grated against the no-dachi. I looked up not into a face but into a skull mask. It leered at me, and I could see to small specks of light gleaming in the eye sockets.

I repelled the attack, and the swordsman bounded away and landed by the edge of the trees. Then, out of the park stepped a blond haired woman wearing a purple, Grecian styled dress. She looked like any young woman, but I knew better than to trust innocent looking girls.

"Who are you?" I asked as I stepped in front of N'deki to approach the girl.

The smile on her face wasn't open or friendly, but it kind of reminded me of the smile children got when they tortured animals. They were happy, but there wasn't anything pure about that joy.

"Little Ryo of Wildfire, we meet at last," she said. Her voice and her looks were both innocent and sweet, but there was something vicious in her violet eyes. "How are you today?"

"I'm ready to end you," I told her as I raised my katana. A wide, serene smile spread across her face.

"I am so glad you want to play first," she said as she placed her hands together. I felt the energy build in her palms. Could she attack me without a weapon? I readied my katana.

A sizzling, pink swirl split the air, and it hit my swords first. I gritted my teeth and drew upon my armor's power. It pumped inside me again and set my blood on fire. "Flare . . . Up Now!"

The first charged out of me and repelled the attack. I grinned at her when the air cleared between us. However, she only giggled and clapped her hands like a little girl. "You are much better than I thought! This shall be fun!"

I ready myself to attack. "Probably more fun for me because I'm going to win." I charge at her, and when I go to strike, she raises her hands. My swords hit a shimmering barrier, and I'm thrown back. I regain my feet as she sends as blast for me. I deflect it, and I hear N'deki behind me trying to fight off some of the blast, too.

When the air clears again, she is standing in the same place, still smiling. I scowl at her and raise my swords to attack again. "Why so angry, Wildfire? Do you find me difficult?"

I grin at her again. "I've just begun. Why don't you tell me whose lackey you are?"

Instead, she folds her hands together, ready to attack. "Oh, that is unimportant," she says as she shoots swirling balls of energy at us. It's not like they're coming from her hand, but that she forms them in the air in front of her and then shoots them at us.

I defend myself against her attacks, and then, the swordsman leaps at me. We meet swords, and I feel myself heating up, and the strength of my armor finally makes him retreat to the girl again.

"I know her! She was there, with my armor!" N'deki exclaims after the attack, and I let my gaze dart between N'deki and the girl. "It was you! You came after me and tried to kill Ariel!"

The girl giggles again. "You are so smart, little Oni. It is too bad you are so weak. I will enjoy your end, but not as much if you would play first."

The girl shoots the balls of energy at me, and I dodge them, and then, I run at her again. "Flare Up Now!" My attack hits her sphere, and flames spread all around it, but I can't pierce it. However, I don't turn back and keep running towards her. When the flames are gone, the sphere disappears, too, and I keep running towards her.

She shoots her energy at me again, and that stops me from getting a swing at her. I push against her attack, and I can feel that I'll have to use another sure kill.

"Ryo!" I hear N'deki yell, and then, I see that the swordsman is about to attack her again. I grit my teeth together. If I break this attack, it's going to hit me, but N'deki is in trouble.

The swordsman comes down before I can move. I hear him collide, and then, I see a golden glow where he struck. I gasp, realizing she might have somehow managed to fend him off. Then, the glow gets brighter, and the swordsman leaps back over to the edge of the woods.

"Arrow . . . Shock Wave!"

The blonde moves away quickly before the ground implodes a moment later. I snap my head back to see that the golden glow came from Kayura and the staff. Now, Kayura, Rowen, Seiji, Kento, Cye, Nakeisha, and Zera stand beside N'deki and Mia.

White Blaze runs up to me, and I pat him on the head. "Nice to see you, too, buddy." I turn towards the blonde. She is still smiling, but she's looking more tense now that numbers aren't in her favor.

"Who's she?" Kento calls to me.

"Why don't you ask her?" I say as I keep my eyes trained on the girl. She gives one of her tinkling laughs.

"It does not matter who_ I_ am," she replies. "I am simply here to play with you, but mean Kayura has shown up to ruin my fun."

I quickly glance back at Kayura, who is looking past me to meet the girl's gaze. "Go back to where you came from because this world does not want you."

The girl only laughs, and then, the swordsman makes a move. Seiji, Cye, and Kento move on him, though, and I hear the grating of the sword against their weapons. The girl launches another attack at me, and I run forward to meet it.

White Blaze roars as I struggle against the girl's attack. Out of the corner of my eye, I see two more figures sweep down from the sky. They go over the heads of Kayura and the girls and head for me.

I feel anger pulse through me. No, they won't land an attack on my back. "Flare. . . Up . . .Now!" I shout and whip my swords around in a circle around my body. The flames fan out in a huge circle, too, and the attack hit the blonde girl and the two figures trying to attack my back.

"Whoa, where'd he learn that badass move?" Kento says, and I huge grin spreads over my face as I turn to face the blonde girl again. She's moved farther back to escape that sure kill, and I can see she's losing her calm.

"I hope that was fun for you," I snap at her.

A coy smile still plays on her lips. "Imuit. Juesaes. End them."

I look at the two figures again, and I realize that they were just as creepy as the swordsman. The one wore an expressionless, black mask and had huge vulture wings. The other ghoul wore a leopard mask, and they both carried two broad swords.

The ghoulish pair moved on Kayura, Rowen, and the girls. Nakeisha and Zera came forward to meet the pair, and Rowen charges up to come fight with me as the blonde releases another round of energy balls. I block them, and Rowen sends a bombardment of arrows her way.

I hear the fight behind me, and then, when the blond stops attacking us for a moment, I glance to see what's happening. The swordsman, Cye, Kento, and Seiji have fallen away from the group and are now attacking across the street. Kayura and N'deki have begun to attack the ghoul pair, too.

I turn to meet the next attack from the blonde girl. As she pelts me with energy, Rowen shoots arrows, and in the midst of it all, I make a move and charge towards her. I swipe my sword, but I just missed her face.

"Flare Up Now!"

I hear the girl shriek, and she puts her hands up to block my sure kill, but she's repelled across the street. When the air clears, I can see the grin gone from her face. Instead, her mouth is open, and now, it's my turn to grin.

"Brilliant." I snap my head up to see . . . Kayura? No, it's not Kayura. I know it's Kikyo because she has the Star Swords.

"Star Swords Scream!"

Energy pelts us, and I raise my swords to protect myself, but I'm slammed down into the ground by her power. White Blaze is beside me, but Rowen's armor has provided a bubble to protect him.

After the attack is over, I can see the blonde still on the other side of the street. The swordsman has gained the upper hand, and only Seiji continues to fight him because Cye and Kento were knocked down in the attack.

Kayura was able to protect N'deki, Nakeisha, Zera, and Mia, but I can see the shock on their faces when they look up at Kikyo.

"It's not you," Mia says as she looks at Kayura.

"Whoa . . ." Kento mutters as he gets up. However, his jaw just dropped open, so he didn't say anything else before Kikyo spoke.

"Nice to see you, sister," Kikyo said as she landed on one of the roofs of the nearby houses. She laughed, and it sent chills down my spine because it sounded exactly like Kayura's laugh. "It has been a while, hasn't it? The last time we were together, I tortured more people you have been trying so desperately to protect."

"Sister?" Kento gasped. "She's your sister?"

"Yes," Kayura spat, "she is my sister, who, it seems, has chosen a wayward life."

Kikyo laughed again, and I realized her laugh had a steely, hard edge Kayura's never had. "You, too, lived a 'wayward life,' dear Kayura."

Kayura scowled and shouted, "Not by my choice!"

Kikyo sneered as she leapt off the roof. "You never had the backbone for it!" Kikyo shouted as she charged Kayura. The staff and the Star Swords clashed once more, and gold and silver sparks flew across the park.

The ghoul pair attacked Nakeisha and Zera again, and Cye was close enough that he went over to help them. Kento had ran off to help Seiji, and N'deki stood behind Kayura.

I turned to see the blonde, no smile any more, ready to attack us again. "Cover me," I told Rowen as I left him with White Blaze. I charged over to Kikyo and Kayura, and before Kikyo could strike the staff again, I met her blades.

My swords grinded against her jitte as I turned her away from Kayura. We locked gazes, and I could see the challenge raging against me before she spoke. "Come, Wildfire, you cannot match blades with me."

I chuckled. "Try me." She broke the attack, but I chased her down, and we clashed again. Sparks fizzled as our blades met, and I watched as my swords got hot and throbbed with energy while her jitte began to glow.

This time, I broke the attack to try and take a better swing at her. She struck at me, and I parried her blow. She darted away, and I chased her. I struck, and she parried. With each blow, sparks flew between us, but neither was able to make a decisive move.

Finally, after chasing each other around, I locked her against my blades again. "Flare Up Now!"

Instead of being blow away by the attack, Kikyo leap in the air, the fire from my sure kill just nipping at her feet. Then, she shouted, "Star Swords Scream!"

Our sure kills met, and the lightning sent sparks flying everywhere as it cut through my attack. I raised my swords up to protect myself, and then, Kayura stood beside me. She thrust the staff up and repelled the attack.

I looked over at Kayura, who kept her eyes upon Kikyo. Kikyo landed on one of the rooftops again and started to laugh. "Fine fight, Wildfire, even though I still can best you."

"Let's try that again, if you want to make sure," I spat. I wanted to pound this woman into the ground, but Kayura put a hand on my shoulder. I turned to Kayura and asked, "What? She needs to go down!"

"Kikyo, where is the Doku armor?" Kayura shouted. "Tell me where she is, Kikyo."

Kikyo went completely still as she fixed her gaze on Kayura. "Ah, so you did not forget after all."

I gasped. _We_ _had_ forgotten! "I did not forget," Kayura declared as she raised up the staff in front of her. "Tell me, Kikyo. Tell me where she is!"

I looked over to Wisteria Park. "Kayura, she's in the park! They've been stopping us from getting into the park!"

"To the Park!" Kayura shouted, and we all turned and bolted towards the trees. However, Kikyo landed in front of Kayura and me. A scowl set upon her face, she released a furious attack, which drove Kayura, N'deki, and I away from Wisteria Park. The jitte sent off silver sparks every time they hit my katana or the staff.

I saw the energy attacks strike out, too, but, before they could be stopped, Seiji, Cye Zera, and Nakeisha made it into the forest. However, the swordsman and the ghoul pair followed them. Kento and Rowen were close, but the blonde girl's attacks stopped them, and they turned around to fight her.

Kikyo's attack repelled us to the other side of the road, and I could see Rowen and Kento being corned into the same area by the blonde girl. We were all together, and we formed a half circle to face the two women.

"Let's get into that park," Rowen growled as he raised his bow. "Arrow Shock Wave!"

"Iron Rock Crusher!"

As the ground exploded yet again, I saw the giant pink energy ball form around the girl, but this time, instead of just protecting her, it widen and began its own huge attack. It rippled away from her, getting ever more powerful, and Kayura raised her staff to defend us from the debris fallout.

Kikyo jumped on us. She appeared in an instant through the debris and struck at the staff. Kayura barely held her up. N'deki swung the kursai-gama and hit Kikyo in the side. The attack knocked Kikyo off balance, and I charged at her.

The blonde appeared and shot at me, but Kento stepped in front to block most of the attacks. I took aim at Kikyo. She parried my strike and managed to slip out of the situation again because she was just so damn agile.

Standing back with the girl, Kikyo touched the wound on her side. "You stupid girl," she snarled, "I'm going to run you through. It should be easy enough to do."

"You will not touch her!" Kayura shouted, and I took a couple steps away from Kayura as I saw rage light in her eyes.

"Ah, that's right, Kayura. You wore that armor, didn't you? I'm going to doubly enjoy killing that little whelp," Kikyo said as she came at us again. The blonde girl attacked, and Rowen and I helped parry that attack.

Instead of waiting for Kikyo to come to us, Kayura charged out towards her sister. They clashed in the zone of debris we created. The jitte scraped across the staff, and the sound echoed across the entire battle area.

Kikyo shot waves of sparkling, blue energy at Kayura, but she repelled it with the staff. Sometimes, she would directly meet Kikyo's blades, and other times, she would spin the staff to dispel the energy attacks.

N'deki gasped from beside me. I turned to see her pale face. "What's wrong?" I asked her.

"It's just that . . . this has happened before, hasn't it?" N'deki asked me. I bit my lower lip and nodded. I didn't want to admit to myself how much this reminded me of how it looked for Anubis to fight Kayura. This time, it was Kayura fighting herself.

The blonde stopped attacking and darted away. Kikyo drew back away from Kayura, towards the Park. Then, her eyes widened for a moment, and a grin slipped over her face. "Ah, it's too bad, Kayura, too bad. I'm going to have to go."

With that, Kikyo disappeared into the park, too. However, Kayura started to run after her, and the rest of us followed. She was going for the armor.

(Seiji)

I dart through the trees, and I can see Zera racing at my side while Nakeisha is crashing in front of us. I hear noise behind me, and I wonder who is following us into the Park

We reach a clearing, and I see the vulture woman pounce upon Zera and send her sprawling across the grass. Nakeisha comes to her rescue and brings her morning star down upon the ghoul. However, the leopard creature is here, but I am quick enough to stop her from reaching Nakeisha.

Then, I see Cye come through the trees. Behind him, the ghastly mask of the swordsman follows, and Cye meets the creature's dachi. I see Cye struggling with how quick the swordsman is, and I got over to help him.

"Help! You have to help Nilla!" Lily, her face streaked with tears, runs towards us. She's waving her arms wildly like she means to flag us down.

"Cye, I'll take him! Go help her!" I yell as I charge the swordsman. Our blades collide, and I can feel his power. He turns, and I sidestep his next attack. I swing my own blade at him, hoping to land a successful hit, but I fail.

His mask mocks me, and it increases my drive to end him. I swing again at him, but he continues to dodge me. "Seiji! Come on! This is bad!" Cye shouts, but I don't pull my attention away from the swordsman. However, the swordsman hears Cye, too, and as I go to attack him, he leaps into the air and rushes in Lily and Cye's direction.

"No!" I hear Nakeisha cry. I look over to watch the ghoul pair retreat away from Nakeisha and Zera. I rush in that direction, realizing they are probably going to converge on the place where Nilla is.

I reach another clearing, and a head of us, stands a large plant. It seems like a weed that is oozing slime, but a large, red flower has blossomed on it. However, the flower is closed, but in the bud, I can see the body of the Doku armor, although I cannot see Nilla's face.

A four-armed woman steps out from behind the plant. She brandishes two sabers as she grins at us. "Welcome. I see you have come in time to watch my victory."

"Really?" Zera asks, and she raises her sword. Nakeisha lets out a fierce cry, and the pair charge towards the four-armed woman, who is flanked by the ghouls and the swordsman.

Cye races after them, but I hang back for a moment. "Please, please, don't let her die," I here Lily crying from behind me. I steady my blade as Zera and Nakeisha try unsuccessfully to take on the woman and her two ghouls at the same moment.

"Thunder Bolt Cut!" I shout, and my sure kill head straight for the woman. She manages to turn it aside, but the distraction has given Zera and Nakeisha precious moments to get close to the plant. Zera takes a swing to hack at the stem.

Several things happen at once, and I feel as if I am frozen. First, I see a dark shadow appear from the woods. The blur of black seems to swoosh across the clearing in no time. She grabs a hold of 

Zera's neck, and the girl drops. Then, the four-armed lady has grabbed Nakeisha, and she, too, falls.

At that same moment, I see Cye thrown from the clearing by the swordsman. He smashes into at least one tree, and I hear the wood splinter. The swordsman rushes into the woods after him, but I cannot turn to help Cye now.

The black shadows stops moving and now, in an instant, is standing in front of the group of ghouls and facing me. I gasp at the sight of the yellow-eyed woman with skin that looks tinted by her eyes. "You will not go near them."

"Really?" I challenge her. At that moment, I see the plant sprout two more buds. Zera and Nakeisha each have a root come up and stab them in the neck. Their bodies jerk before going limp. I know it will only be a little while before a flower bud forms around them, too.

"Let them go!" I shout. The four-armed woman only laughs at me, and I ready myself for my sure kill. "Thunder Bolt Cut!"

I strike out at the yellow-eyed woman, but as my sure kill head for her, she only raises her hands. When the attack reaches her outstretched palms, it hits what appears to be metal mesh. The lightning and power from my attack travel along this mesh and dissipate away from her into nothing.

I gasp because I cannot believe it. She destroyed my attack with no effort! It seemed like nothing to her! "Ah, now is the time," the four-armed woman announces. I look up to see the bud of the plant quiver and burst open. I can now see the helmet and mask of the Doku armor, but I cannot tell for sure that it is Nilla.

"No! Nilla!" Lily screams, and I cannot stop her from running over to her friend. To my astonishment, the ghouls and the two powerful women let her through.

Lily goes to take Nilla's hand, but then, her eyes snap open, and they are rolled back in her head and are the color of a throbbing, red wound. I cannot stop Lily from going to her, though, but when Lily grasps Nilla's hand, she smacks her away.

With jerky motions, Nilla draws her tachi swords and steps forward. She seems to saunter and float over to me. Then, after one clumsy step, she charges. Her speed astonishes me, and I am caught off guard.

"Nilla! What are you doing?" I shout to her, but I can tell she doesn't hear. She seems to be in a trance, and I can hear the four-armed woman laughing as Nilla attacks me.

Her blade skills is deft and quick, and I wonder at how adept she had already become with her blades. She strikes at me, and I am thankful that I have enough experience to counter her moves

There is a noise to my right, but I cannot turn to see it. "Super Wave Smasher!" The wave hits the two ghouls, and it also strikes the plant. I my chance while the two women are confused. I rush in after Cye's sure kill has gone through.

As I break from Nilla, though, I feel a terrible sting in my right arm. I know her tachi have cut me, and I can feel the poison of those swords seep through my body. I am quick, though, and I reach the withering plant. I cut it and free Zera and Nakeisha.

"Clever, but it will not save you," the four-armed woman says as she turns to me. I notice the ghouls are gone, though, but now, the woman approaches me. Then, hurtling down towards me, comes Kikyo. I yank Zera and Nakeisha out of the way, and we escape her attack. I grit my teeth against the pain in my arm.

"Well, I think we can let her handle this," Kikyo sneers as she makes way for Nilla to come towards us. Then, Kento crashes through the forest. He lunges at the four-armed woman, who repels his attack.

I hold the unconscious Zera and Nakeisha, and when Nilla attacks, I know I cannot stop her. But then, I realize that she seems to not be listening to anyone at all. I suddenly realize that, if these women had control over her, they would already be gone by now. Instead, they want us to fight her.

"Kento, don't attack Nilla!" I shout. Kento looks at me, and then, his gaze falls upon Nilla.

"Whoa, dude, what's wrong with her? Did they get her?" as Kento speaks, Nilla turns towards him. Relief floods through me, but then, the yellow-eyed woman turns to me again. Behind her, I see Lily rush over, and I realize she means to try and harm the yellow-eyed woman. The yellow-eyed woman turns her head and sees Lily before she is even close enough to touch her, and she waves her hand and sends Lily hurtling across the clearing.

The moment has bought me time, but now, with Kento absorbed fighting Nilla, Kikyo converges upon me, too.

"I see that you are hurt," Kikyo says and sneers at me. "Let me put your out of your pain, Halo."

The blond shoots into the clearing. My stomach lurches because the odds tip more against us. A barrage of arrows follows her, though. "Arrow Shock Wave!"

One dart hurtles towards Kikyo, and she leaps backwards to avoid the blast. Then, the jingling of the staff reaches my ears, and it clears my mind of the pain and of the fears that tried to ebb their way into my consciousness. I turn my head away from Kikyo and her consorts to watch as Kayura, Ryo, Rowen, and N'deki burst through the trees. White Blaze growls to announce his presence, and I realizes Mia rides in on his back, too.

Kayura takes several steps towards Nilla, and the staff begins to ring. "Nilla, come to us. Leave them. They only want to deceive you."

The four-armed woman cackles, and Kayura snapped her head over to see the four-armed woman, the yellow-eyed woman, Kikyo, and the blond girl standing together. The four-armed woman sneers, "She does not listen to you, _lady_."

"We shall see," Kayura replies, her voice demanding and firm. She thrust the staff forward, and as she does, the rings stop jingling. I gasp. The staff was not healing Nilla. Why?

Kento froze and stopped fighting, but now, he looks like he might continue fighting Nilla, who remains motionless for the moment. Maybe the staff had stopped her attack. However, Nilla sways side to side hypnotically, and something made me think this was far from finished.

Rowen stepped in front of Kayura, and he looked like he might approach Nilla. "Stop this. Nilla, wake up. They're just tricking you. You can free yourself and end this."

Rowen's pleas only caused Kikyo, the blond, and the four-armed woman to erupt in laughter. At that moment, Nilla begins to swing her arms up and down in long, graceful sweeps. Her movements increase in speed. Kento's jaw flaps open. I have seen this before. It is the start of the Doku sure kill.

Then, N'deki breaks away from the group and rushes over to me while everyone else is distracted by Nilla. I turn towards the little Oni girl, and I can see her one arm dangling and limp at her side. She bends over, though, and picks Nakeisha up with her good arm, even though she's tinier, and I can see it strains her to carry that much weight.

"Come over to Kayura," N'deki says. "The staff will protect us."

I frown and bite my lower lip. Now, Nilla's arms are moving in a blur. Kento growls and raises his tetsubo. "Screw this. She's not getting off a hit."

"Kento, no! It's what they want! They want us to attack her!" I shout again, hoping the oaf will get it this time.

"That's right, I was going to kill you," Kikyo snaps as she turns towards me. In an instant, Ryo is in front of us, and they lock blades. The grinding of the jitte and the katana echo across the clearing. In that moment, N'deki and I make a dash for Kayura.

I stare at Nilla as I run. The pain in my arm has made it completely numb, but it's Nilla's arms which alarm me now. I can see six of them. It's the magic number, and my stomach falls out. "Nilla, you must fight this!" Kayura calls out, but I can tell Nilla can't hear her. The red, unseeing eyes focus on nothing while she builds her speed and power. I can see the air start to throb around her.

Cye bolts from the woods and into the clearing. Behind him comes the swordsman, and I can see Cye is moving very slowly. He makes for Kento, and the swordsman goes to attack them both. When Cye reaches Kento, he definitely can see Nilla. I go to tell Cye not to attack her.

But before I can shout, Cye plunges into Kento and shoves him in the direction of Kayura. Kento seems surprised, but he grabs Cye, and they both head our way. The swordsman, thinking he could catch them, had swung his attack where they stood a moment ago.

His blade comes up, and he swings instead at Nilla. She turns towards him, and the power buzzing around her is tangible and warping the air into a dull crimson cloud. All six swords are moving, but before the no-dachi can reach any of them, Nilla shouts, "Venom Bite!"

The words are different, and Nilla's voice is low and feral as she turns on the swordsman. The creature lets out an inhuman shriek as the air in front of the swords erupts in a swell of toxins. Nilla lunges forward with the tachi, and I hear them strike the swordsman. I turn my head towards the four ghouls standing together. The four-armed woman bubbles over with rage, and the blond puts a hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp, and the motion seems silly, like something a little girl would do. Kikyo stops fighting Ryo and returns to her consort, and she scowls, obviously the unhappiest that this has failed.

Nilla's attack ends, and the mask of the swordsman is melted into a white blob. I grin in triumph, even though I notice the poison hasn't damaged the blade. The swordsman finds the strength to jump up, and he disappears like the ghouls. Then, Nilla turns towards us, and I suck in a quick breath. Her eyes are still rolled back in her head, but now, they're no longer red. She sways for a moment, and then, she blinks, and her iris's are back and trying to focus on us.

Ryo, who stopped fighting Kikyo, comes over to Nilla. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. "You okay?" Ryo asks. Nilla stares blankly for a moment before dumbly shaking her head. She's wobbling, but Rowen is there just as quickly as Ryo. Nilla puts a hand on his shoulder to steady herself.

Ryo turns towards Kikyo and taunts, "We win."

"You bastard," she hisses back, "Do you think a little luck is all you need? Let us show you our real power."

Ryo only laughs. "I'll take you up on that offer." I feel my armor give a pulse, and I know what's coming. My blood begins to pump as my armor's power flitters to life. As Ryo summons the Kikoutei, I feel the strength bleed out of my body. My arm is on fire, and I grit my teeth against the pain now that the strength of my armor cannot numb. Zera's eyes shoot open, and I realize that Ryo is summing the War Lord armors, too.

"It's fine," I tell Zera, but I don't think she hears me. She's staring ahead, her mouth open. Nakeisha does not wake, even though I know Ryo is calling her armor, too. N'deki is struggling to hold the girl as the Kikoutei is draining her energy, too.

But the change is complete. Ryo gleams like snow on the brightest day of the year. White Blaze jumps to Ryo's side, and he draws the Soul Swords. Kikyo's lips draw together, but she raises the twin jitte. I almost laugh. Does she think she can really win this?

Kayura steps forward. "Let us see, then, sister, if you can truly contend with us. Your evil has caused much pain, and now, if you wish to stay and fight, all of you will pay for it."

"We're playing with a full deck," Ryo quips, and I hear Rowen snort.

Then, before Kikyo can respond, the staff begins to chime and jingle again. It, too, seems to be powering itself up, and Kayura looks every part the Ancient's heir as she stands beside Ryo.

Without a word, the yellow-eyed woman shimmers and disappears. The blond gasps and spins in a circle. Seeing the other woman gone, she, too, quickly vanishes. Then, the four-armed woman, who quickly realizes that she's been abandoned, also shimmers away.

"I see you've got quite the brave group," Ryo sneers, and then, he laughs at Kikyo.

Kikyo keeps the twin jitte raised, and she fixes her gaze on Ryo. Her eyes, as cold as steel and as hard as diamonds, speak volumes before she opens her mouth. "You think you are amusing. My mistress shall undo you."

"Tell her to come visit us." Ryo just can't stop, and I want to tell him to quit taunting her before her mistress does show up. Most of us are wounded, and after the energy drain of Kikoutei, no one else is ready to fight again.

Kikyo keeps her gaze fixed on Ryo. "She will see you when the time is right. It will be an experience you will _never_ forget." Kikyo turns her gaze towards Kayura. "They will all die, _sister_, and you are foolish to think you can stop this. It has been set in motion since the beginning of days. All of them, even those with us now, will die, and they will suffer and beg for death before they do. I shall give my jitte's pain to them, since you deny me the pleasure for now."

Kikyo, too, shimmers and disappears. For a moment, Kayura sways, but then, she straightens herself up again. Then, after Kikyo has left, Ryo's bright armor fades, and I feel my armor pulse and flow again with its own power. Zera shifts a little, and her trance like stare is broken. She stares up at me dumbly for a moment.

"What happened? I saw . . . a light."

"Nothing that caused permanent harm, I hope," I tell her. "Do you feel well?"

Zera shakes her head. "My head is on fire. My stomach feels like it's going to explode." Then, she hangs her head, and I can hear her drawing deep breaths.

"We need to go back," Mia says.

"So the news crews don't come?" Kento jokes.

A/N: So, thanks for bearing with me. Here's a break down: There's a chapter or so left in this part. Part Three is on its way soon. It's going to be called 'Nine,' and will be almost constant action/more eventful prose. I know that's what people want, and that's what I wanted to write, so that's what I've been working on with this story. However, there needs to be more 'boring stuff' before then (at the end of this part) so the action has a little more depth. Action for action's sake is fun, but usually it's super shallow. If you care about the characters, that's when action matters. There are so many new characters that they need more page time before they can have anything really happen to them. Also, kitty, I would be glad to help you out. (P.S: the internet is coming back to my room, so proofreading will be done then. And I am super overdue to meet people/workout now.)


	29. War Council

**War Council**

(Rowen)

I drummed my fingers against the tabletop, and the sound echoed throughout the kitchen. I closed the computer and titled back in my chair. I balanced myself on the back two legs as I looked up at the florescent kitchen bulb. The house felt quiet, and I realized it made me restless.

Chaos descended upon us the moment Kayura took us back to the manor. We took off our armors, and it became apparent how damaged some of us were after the battle. Nakeisha and Zera thankfully woke up before they retched. When she removed the armor, Nilla realized she, too, would vomit, but she sprinted to the bathroom before that happened. The instant mess of the three girls wasn't exactly aided by the fact that Cye and N'deki were both wounded to an extend where they weren't any help.

Ariel and Yuli helped Cye and N'deki, and the rest of us were trying to keep Zera and Nakeisha awake so they didn't throw up while unconscious because they were both on the verge of passing out any moment. Ryo and Kayura aided Nilla, and when I helped Nakeisha, I stood by Seiji and Kento, who were both helping Zera, who was definitely the worse for wear out of the three girls.

It seemed like some horribly twisted party aftermath. We were holding the girls and keeping their hair out of their faces, and if it weren't for the armor, it would have looked like some kids had too many spirits at a party. While Kento held Zera up, and I could see Seiji's sub armor had a gash in it. He didn't move his arm, and I could tell it hurt him, but we didn't have enough people to help everyone. Of course, he didn't complain.

I thought Lily was the problem. Mia had to go help Lily because she, too, had been injured. She sported gashes and scrapes on her arms and face. It bothered me she was wasting resources, but I wasn't exactly in the position to complain about it at that moment.

Anyway, when Mia did finish, I called her over and told Seiji to get his arm fixed. He ignored me, but eventually everyone who needed to rest got to do so. Somehow, Ryo, Kento, and I got out of the situation with the least amount of injury and exhaustion, but I took the night watch. After everything, it didn't seem wise to let everyone sleep at once. When I heard soft footfalls, I realized not everyone was sleeping. I turned my head and saw Nilla creeping down the stairs. She still wore the brown Doku sub armor, and as she took a seat across the table from me, I heard Kayura's words.

'_You are uncomfortable with her having the armor.'_

True, but I couldn't tell why. I felt my stomach knot up, but I knew it was an irrational reaction. She was still the same person, I hoped, and now, she needed me more than ever. This was not the time to go emotional.

"Can't sleep." I meant it as a question, but it came out as more of a statement.

Nilla shrugged. "After I threw up, I felt better. I don't know anything else."

Her armor was the poison armor. She, apparently, had taken her recovery fairly well. At least that's what Ryo told me before he went to his room. "Did Kayura tell you anything?"

"About what? There are plenty of things Kayura could have told me," Nilla said as she leaned over the table toward me. I studied her face, and I knew she wanted me to give away what was bothering me. Well, I wasn't about to tell her about the armor's former owner, and I hoped Kayura kept her word to let that story go until later.

"Well, I only want to know what she did tell you," I responded coolly. Nilla's brow crinkled, and I felt she knew more than my personal concerns about the armors were closed to her tonight.

She sighed and said, "She told me that my armor would help me heal. She told me there would be more to come later. She looked like she aged since I saw her last. What happened with Kayura?"

I folded my hands together and put them behind my head. I stared up at the light again just so I didn't have to look at Nilla. I couldn't tell her what happened to Kayura. I hardly knew myself, really, and I felt I could only guess how Kayura felt about the sudden upheaval with the armors. The chaotic days pieced themselves together haphazardly in my mind. In the midst of it all, though, I could feel the Warlord armor's presence like a stain.

"What's being kept secret?" Nilla snapped at me. I finally looked at her again.

I bit my lip while I chose my words. "It's something everyone has to hear at once. I can't say it. I don't know all of it, actually, but very few parts of what will be said could be labeled as 'good'."

"Is that so?" Nilla asked as she leaned away from me a little. However, as she turned her gaze away from me, she said, "I suppose I'm in the 'not good' pile?"

"Actually," I replied quickly as I sensed Nilla's mood fail, "You still being with us now is in either the 'excellent' or the 'wow, I-can't-believe-our-luck-held' category."

Nilla's gaze snapped around towards me. "You thought I was lost to them."

I paused for a moment. Finally, I whispered, "Oh yeah. When I saw you, oh yeah."

She bit her lower lip and stared away from me again. "I'm sorry I scared you. I remember fighting with that woman, and then, she got me. There was a pain in my neck --"

"And you did everything she told you to do?" I finished the sentence the way the situation appeared in my mind: Nilla, completely in a trance, swinging her swords around and ready to attack all of us. She was ready to let her sure kill go on her friends.

"No, Rowen, I wasn't listening to them," she snapped.

"Then what possessed you?" I asked her.

Nilla turned her gaze back towards me, and in a soft but steady voice, she replied, "I felt like I was someone else, somewhere else, and in some other time. I was her, but she wasn't me at the same time. I saw her before, and she's stronger, older, and far more powerful than I am, but she is me."

Now, I put my chair down on all four legs and leaned across the table. "What are you talking about?"

Nilla ran her hands through her hair. "I'm saying that there's . . . oh, I don't know. When I got poisoned, I became her. I fought in her body, my body. It wasn't fighting you. I was in another fight, at another time."

"You were in a trance?"

Nilla only shrugged. "I guess I was. It wasn't the same fight, though, but I felt I went through a series of fights. Then, I was alone, and I felt enemies closing in around her. Her words echoed in my head. 'Be aware of this power. Give into this fate.'"

"What fate? Who is this? Is it the four-armed woman?" I asked Nilla, but she only shook her head.

"I don't know, Rowen, but it's not her," her voice rose as she continued to speak, "She didn't tell me her name. She gave me the orb! I've seen her before, I know she's connected to the armor. Her spirit compels me, and I felt it guide me. It moved my limbs, and I could feel the power in my veins. I knew what the armor wanted me to do. I didn't know why or how I would do it, but it was my destiny to call that attack. It was meant for me."

'_It was meant for me.'_

A chill shot down my spine. I had no response to those words. "I never heard a voice with my armor," I replied in an even tone. I surprised myself that I could hide my uneasiness from my voice.

"Well, Rowen, you weren't seeing visions, either, were you?" she snapped. I frowned as I studied the anger that crept into Nilla's face, and I knew I wasn't ready for the words that would pour from her mouth. "I saw terrible things, Rowen. I saw everything undone and dying. This is ending, Rowen, and I don't even know what's ending, but something else is coming. The end will bring something new and powerful. I don't know what it is, but she's there, and she's my fate. She is me, Rowen."

"Your fate is your own. You don't have to follow the path of the armor," I tell her, but my stomach is twisting into knots. The armor is telling her to do things, and I realize I don't trust that armor.

"Rowen," Nilla speaks after a moment, and her voice is calm again and back down to a whisper, "I think it's why the shape shifter might have come for me."

"You think this shape shifter or whoever sent it knew you were having visions? I thought they sent it for me," I tell her. Nilla only shrugs.

"Well, Rowen, I guess it was probably for you, but getting me in the deal probably wasn't a bad price, now, was it?" Nilla suggests. We stare at each other, and I can't deny that she might be onto something. Out of all the girls, I realize I think Nilla is the most powerful of them all.

Then, I hear another set of footsteps, and Nilla's gaze goes over my head. I look up to see Seiji coming down the stairs. Instantly, I can see he's wrapped his arm and placed it in a sling. So, he wounded himself more than I thought. However, Seiji is not looking at me but past me. He's staring at Nilla.

Seiji sits down, and Nilla says, "I caused that, didn't I?"

"You seem to have a great natural ability with those blades," Seiji replies softly, but he remains expressionless. I know he tried to compliment Nilla, in his way, but it falls flat and adds tension to the situation. "I also think it's through no real fault of your own."

Nilla raises an eyebrow. "Date Seiji, I do not believe you think that at all."

"You are mistaken," he tells Nilla as he leans toward her, "I believe, completely, that you were not yourself. If you want to say otherwise, you can take it up with Lady Kayura and the group tomorrow. I think everyone will probably agree with me."

At this, Seiji looks at me, but I only frown. Nilla, in her words, was herself, even if she was a deranged version of herself. Nilla stares at me, too, but then, I only shake my head. "I can't pass judgment on what happened. Let Kayura have the final word," I tell her, and she turns away from me. I know what she wanted to hear, but did she really think I would tell it to her?

Nilla frowns and leans back in her chair. She stares at Seiji and then at me. "So, tomorrow, we're having a huge council of some sort. Anyway, what I take away from this is that there is something that no one wants to tell us."

I look at Seiji. It's his turn to speak because I'm exhausted of arguing with Nilla. "It's not that we don't want to tell you, but the truth is a double-edged sword. It cuts deeply in places that may hurt."

Nilla keeps her eyes fixed on Seiji. "Okay. I just think that you're purposefully not wanting to tell _me_. I think you're afraid of me, or more precisely, afraid of my armor. You don't trust it, do you?"

Now, Seiji and I exchange glances. I bite my tongue, hoping that Seiji will continue to speak. However, when neither of says anything for several minutes, Nilla leans forward and says, "I just want to know why. Why my armor? Why does it bother you so?"

"It's not only your armor," Seiji replies quietly as he meets Nilla's gaze. "Nilla, the armors are powerful, but this power is what also makes them dangerous. Do you trust your armor completely?"

She pauses and looks over at me. "Should I?"

"No," Seiji replies quickly, and Nilla's gaze snaps back to him.

"I think that's a ridiculous answer," she replies quickly, and her voice rises again. This time, Nilla gets up to leave. "It's my armor, isn't it? If I didn't trust it, I wouldn't have been able to use it. If you don't trust your armor, you can't use it."

(Ryo)

I press my head against the windowpane of the door. I stare out over the grounds until my eyes rest on the gray surface of the lake. The clouds slip around on the blue surface, but they somehow lose their whiteness. I watch the sky change in the water's reflection until I hear Mia call my name.

We're gathered in the kitchen. Kayura, Nakeisha, and Zera have all come downstairs. I feel White Blaze's weight against my legs. I pat him on the head, and he purrs in response. I turn around and meet Rowen's stare first. I lean against the door, ready to begin.

As Kayura takes a seat at the table with Mia, Seiji, and Cye, I whip my head around to take a look over my shoulder. I felt the shadow flit around me again, and I try to find it. Once again, it's not really there, and I turn back to the group. Kento and Yuli are both sitting at the foot of the stairs together. Rowen is leaning against the opposite wall and standing over Nilla while Ariel and N'deki sit in the doorway from the living room to the kitchen. Nakeisha and Zera have perched themselves on the kitchen counter, and both have ice packs for their headaches.

"It might be best to start from the beginning," Kayura begins slowly, "but none of us can really account for that time, can we?"

Here, Kayura goes silent, and I can see she's troubled. I hope she gets over this mood, and then, I say, "If you don't feel like it, Kayura, let Mia do it. She knows this stuff as well as any of us, if not better."

"Thank you, Ryo," Mia says as she shoots me a knowing glance. Then, she turns to face the general direction of the girls. "I can't say to have been there, either, but I can say . . ."

"What's going on?" Lily asks as she wanders down the stairs. Nakeisha can't suppress her groan, and I can feel the irritation build. Great, we have to convince Lily to leave. "No one woke me."

"We're kind of having a moment here," Nakeisha snaps, and I realize she's said too much. Now, Lily is going to want to stay.

"Well, why can't I be here, too?" Lily pouts, right on cue.

"Lily, this doesn't really concern you, so it's okay if you go back to bed," Seiji says in a soothing voice, and I know he's trying to cover Nakeisha's mistake.

Lily crosses her arms and hops over Yuli. She's in the kitchen now, and as she stands amidst us all in our sub armors, she pauses. I think she might get the hint. "I want to stay. I was there, you know."

So much for trusting Lily to give up and go away on her own. "Lily, why don't you go back to bed? We'll wake you soon," I tell her calmly, and I hope she listens. However, her frown deepens, and she gazes from one person to another.

"I want to stay," Lily states, and she's never sounded more whiney. On the flip side, I've never heard her more determined.

"That's not a good plan," Kento speaks up. "She's not supposed to know. You know . . . there's a reason for the memory—"

"And this is why she should leave," Seiji snaps back into the conversation. He keeps his eyes locked on Lily. "Lily, please, we'll come and get you soon."

"No. Nilla, tell them I can stay. I was there, too. It's not a huge secret anymore," Lily complains as she turns to Nilla. Nilla looks away from Lily for a moment to find my gaze. I frown and tilt my head in the direction of the stairs.

"Lily, I want you to stay, but I'm new to this, too," Nilla says quietly. "I don't think it's my call."

"Actually, it is a huge secret, too," Cye adds as he, too, makes a gesture for Lily to walk to the stairs.

"Well, if she wants to stay, she should be able to stay." All heads snap to Mia, who has just contradicted us all. "She was there. It's a real possibility she helped Nilla. I don't see why she shouldn't stay. She's as involved as any of us were at first."

Mia has a point, and I realize she's probably identifying with Lily. Great, now I don't think Lily will leave. Rowen leans forward and says, "Do you think that's a good idea? She's not supposed to know."

"Yes, and I'm sure there are a lot of other things that aren't supposed to happen, but they do, and Lily staying seems very trivial at this point. She was the only one in the house without an invite to this meeting, and it seems a little unfair," Mia states, and I know no one is going to argue with her now. It's her house, and she's making logical points. Even if none of us like them, I look around and realize Lily is staying.

Lily obviously realizes she's won because she goes over and sits besides Nilla without another word. Mia leans back in her chair again and says, "Since that is settled, let's get back to where I was."

Now, the room goes silent again. Mia bites her lip, and then, she begins to speak. "Endure the immortality of Mt. Fuji; Swirling waters you lie in a distant place." Her voice picks up volume, and she seems to be more chanting than speaking. "The light blossoms when in the darkest prison; Winter comes to a snowy mountain; As he lies floating in the sky."

She pauses, and I realize I'm breathing so shallowly because I can hear every sound I make. "This is how I first came to know of the armors. My grandfather found this poem and translated it. The book that Zera and Nakeisha found was something he wrote while looking for more information on the Ronin armors. He found the proof of where he thought they existed, but then, he realized it was too late. Talpa would enter our world again."

I swallow, and I can see the girls leaning forward, caught on everything Mia is saying. "Talpa entered our world before, but it was a long time ago. Talpa was a powerful demon lord who became emperor of the Evil Dynasty. When he came the first time, a thousand years ago, the Ancient One, whose staff Kayura carries, fought him and drove his spirit and his armies away. However, Talpa left behind his body and the armor that he bore. So, the Ancient one took the armor, and to prevent Talpa from reentering our world through it, he split it into nine pieces."

"Our armor," N'deki gasps. "It was the demon's armor!" The words electrify the air and bring the other girls to life. "Seriously? You didn't think it was important to say this before now?" Nakeisha snaps. Kento groans in response.

"You know, this is _why_ we didn't say anything," Kento says as he stares down Nakeisha. "Oh, you want to hold on because this story gets _better _because--"

"Kento," Seiji snaps, "That is quite enough. Mia, please continue."

"Anyway, the nine armors you see before you now were endowed with virtues to protect them from Talpa, and --"

"To the Doku armor, Obedience. To the Torrent armor, Trust," Kayura begins to speak, and we're all content to let her. "To the Yami armor, Piety. To the Halo armor, Courtesy. To the Gen armor, Endurance. To the Hardrock armor, Justice. To the Strata armor, Intellect. To the Oni armor, Loyalty. And finally, to the Wildfire armor, Perfect Virtue. These are all the positive things in the human spirit," Kayura says, but her voice has grown faint. "The Ancient envisioned the armors as a way to protect humanity from Talpa."

"It didn't work as he planned," Mia began to speak again. "Talpa took four of the armors for himself, but the five Ronin armors were saved and kept in this world."

"Wait, so you're saying that Talpa took _our_ armors," Nakeisha interrupted again. "I thought the virtue of Nin was supposed to keep that from happening."

"The armors are capable of both good and evil. As armor bearers, we are able to decide how we use the armors," Seiji cut into the conversation.

"Y-you get to decide which master you will serve," N'deki stutters, and several of us nodded in agreement.

"You're leaving something out," Nilla cut into the conversation. "Talpa took the armors, true, but how did he take them? If what you say is correct about good and evil, then whoever bore the armors before chose evil."

The room falls silent. The five of us look at each other, unsure of what to say. 'Yup, Nilla, you're right. The previous owner of your armor served a demon that tried to destroy our world,' is something I know will not make any of the four girls happy to hear. What am I supposed to say?

"It is not so hard to do," Zera speaks for the first time. "Do you know how easy it is? I can tell you how Talpa took the armors. He told them everything they wanted to hear. He spoke to their weaknesses as humans. Did he do the same with you? If he would have, would you have been as strong?"

"Hey, he _did_ the same with me, thank you very much," Kento snaps and looks like he's ready to get up. Yuli begs him to calm down. "I passed that test."

I'm waiting for Nakeisha to join into the fray, but she doesn't. She's looking at Zera, and her jaw is clenched shut. "While it's great to play the blame game, the truth is, yeah, we were all given the offer to join Talpa multiple times," Rowen replies. "As Kento said, we refused."

"Ah, Rowen of the Strata," Kayura uses his full title, "you make it sound so easy. You make Talpa's offers look small and trivial. I saw the Dynasty. Talpa would have given you everything but your soul and your mind. He demanded those in exchange for everything you were ever denied on this earth."

"I think my soul is a pretty hefty price," I tell Kayura, who meets my gaze.

"I am going to ask you something. All of you," Kayura says, but she doesn't break my gaze, "do you think the Warlords weak men? Do you think of us as soulless because we did not resist what Talpa offered to us?"

"Kayura, the Dynasty controlled you. You were never given a choice," Yuli pipes into the conversation. The tension is escalating, and a sad smile slips over Kayura's face. We are still staring at each other.

"I still served Talpa. My actions speak for me. I served Talpa, against my will, yes, but my evil was no less. Maybe, it was greater than all the rest of his servants." Kayura's words hang in the air, and I can see that everyone else is as uncomfortable as I am. Kento begins to fidget, and everyone is silent.

"Alright then," Rowen replies, "I guess I'll give Kayura an answer. I don't hold it against you, Kayura, not in the end. I wasn't your fault. However, the Warlords chose. I have no sympathy."

I agree with Rowen, but I catch Nilla's reaction. Her mouth falls open, and she appears very upset. I bite my lower lip. Kayura is waiting for me to speak. "I saw Talpa's traps, too. He offered to make me an immortal king and give me all the treasures I could ever want in return for my willing service. I didn't say yes. Other than you, Kayura, the rest of us had a choice," I tell the room, but more specifically, I answer Kayura. I know it's not what she wants to hear from me, too.

"Ah, but Talpa was persuasive," Kayura replies as she keeps her gaze locked onto me. "He does not release his hold easily. It surprised me, during the last battle, that the Warlords chose to follow me. The allegiance of Talpa is not lightly thrown aside."

"But the girls chose us. The four armors don't have to be evil," I respond.

"This is enough," Mia calls out, and I start to pay attention to her again. "We're confusing the girls. Fighting over what happened in the past will not accomplish anything in the future. I think all of us had a bit of luck on our side, not to mention the help of the Ancient one, when we fought Talpa."

The room goes silent again, and all of us wait for Mia. It's going to be her story to tell for a while longer, and the rest of us don't want to say anything. We're probably going to squabble again, but for right now, everyone puts down their tongues to let Mia speak. "As I said, Talpa would come again to the mortal realm. My grandfather realized this would happen, and he told me about it. I was in the city the day the Evil Dynasty came. They captured people and took everyone they could find into their world."

I hear a noise, and N'deki quickly shoves her face into her knees. I think she's crying. "When Talpa came, the Ronin Warriors came together to fight him, his evil spirits, and of course, the Warlords who served him. Talpa realized the power of the armors together, so he separated them. This is where the poem comes into the story. It was the key to finding the Ronin Warriors when they were scattered."

"Where did he put you?" Lily asks.

"She already said," Rowen grumbles, but Mia shoots him a look.

"Ryo was found in Mt. Fuji. He was the easiest to find because the poem states Wildfire would be in or around the mountain directly in the verses. Then, we went to my grandfather to receive help on finding the other four armors. Unfortunately, he was killed by Talpa's evil before he could help us."

"I'm sorry," Lily whispers. No one rebukes Lily this time, though, but I hope she'll be quiet. I can see her causing another fight if she speaks too much.

Mia nods, but she doesn't smile. "Talpa's evil claimed many lives," Ariel speaks for the first time, and we turn to watch the strange harpy girl. It's weird to hear a young girl's voice come out of the sparkling, silver beak. "Many people were only used to feed the dark spirits. Some of us had our flesh bent to serve Talpa. Some were killed by his evil, it is true, but not many. Talpa likes his servants alive."

"This is true," Mia whispers, and for a moment, I don't think she's going to continue. "However," she says, and her voice regains strength, "Ryo, White Blaze, Yuli, and I went looking for the other armors. We found Seiji in Akidoshi, Cye in Naruto, Kento in Mt. Daisetsu, and Rowen in space."

"In space? Seriously?" Lily butts into the story again. I can see Nakeisha ready to pounce on her this time.

"Yes, I'm quite serious," Mia says quickly before anyone else can get in another word. "When we were together again, we tried to break into Talpa's fortress above the city. When we couldn't, the Ancient One came and helped us. He sacrificed himself to open a gateway into the Evil Dynasty so the Ronin Warriors could defeat Talpa."

"That obviously happened, right?" Lily asks, and I don't miss Cye's eye roll. Rowen, Nakeisha, and Kento look equally as irritated with Lily. I want to tell her to leave if she keeps this up. We're here for a reason, and it's not to tell her a fun story. She can go read one of those from a book.

"Yup, it happened," I reply. "However, Talpa wasn't completely down for the count. He came back, but before he did, we fought some more Dynasty lords. I also got my hands on the Soul Swords of Fervor."

"The what-what of what?" Lily asks. Rowen rolls his eyes, and Nakeisha snorts. They want Lily to shut up, and I don't think she'll take the hint.

"Powerful blades," Kento mutters. "Big, scary metal objects that cut Dynasty goons open."

"Thank you, Kento," Mia replies, and I realize that she's ready for the story to continue, too. "Yes, then the Dynasty came again for us. This time, they took a slightly different approach. They didn't directly attack the mortal world first, but Talpa attacked us instead. He wanted to make sure there was nothing to stop him from his next attack."

"Hmm, sort of like now? We're obviously the targets," Nilla replies. I bite my lip. She has a great point. We are the targets again. These creatures haven't really bothered with attacking other innocents. The exception would be Lily, who got herself involved.

"Yes, but it was different," Cye replies. "Nilla, they took us prisoner. Talpa's goal was to bring us to the point of death and use the power of our armor."

"Come again?" Nakeisha asks as she leans forward on the counter. "What happened? They took you prisoner?"

"Yes," Seiji replies, and his voice is lower. I look over at Rowen because of the sore subject. We wait, and I realize Mia is waiting for us to start talking.

"We were apart for the first time in a while," I reply. "We all went off on our own to train. They picked us off one by one, but Rowen and I managed not to get ourselves captured. In all fairness, Talpa set one big trap. He wanted us to come after Cye, Seiji, and Kento so he could capture us _then_."

"Brilliant," Nakeisha mutters, "So how did you get out of that one?"

"We fought. A lot," Kento says.

Seiji sighs and takes up the narrative. "Each of the three remaining Warlords came after Cye, Kento, and me."

"Time out," Nakeisha says again, "There were four last I counted."

"Oh, this is true, but the Ancient made a convert of Anubis," Seiji replies, and Zera, Nakeisha, and Nilla give him questioning looks.

"The one who bore my armor," N'deki replies quickly before anyone else can speak. She still hangs her head a little, and she begins to gnaw on her lower lip. "The Ancient one helped him to see the evil of Talpa."

"Wait . . . how does she know this?" Kento asks. "I'm really confused."

"We can tell you later. It's a more recent development," Ariel responds. "Anyway, N'deki has filled in that part of the story, I think."

"The staff passed to Anubis, too," I added. "That's an important part of the story."

Kento snorts. "Minor detail."

"Anyway, each of the three remaining Warlords came after Cye, Kento, and me," Seiji repeats. "Talpa is spending his time draining our energy in prison. Ryo and Rowen are trying to break into the palace, and Lady Kayura is under the control of the Dynasty at the time."

"And then, Anubis, Yuli, and I go find the Jewel of Life," Mia begins to tell the story again. "The Jewel of Life, which most of you have seen, but wait, let me show you." Mia pulls out the Jewel, and it catches the light and gives off a faint purple sparkle before hanging limply by its chain. "We don't know where it comes from, really, but it was protected by the spirits of dead monks that served with the Ancient One. Once we found it, Yuli, Anubis, and I decided to follow Ryo and Rowen into the Netherworld to help them free the other Ronin Warriors and fight Talpa."

"Then, we bust these three out of prison," I point to Seiji, Cye, and Kento. "We, of course, fight a lot on the way. Talpa has his evil priest Badamon on our asses at this point."

"Badamon?" Nilla asks.

"He was a piece of work," Rowen muttered. "Kind of like Talpa's second in command. He was the chief of all the nether spirits. He also controlled Kayura and possessed her. And, with Badamon possessing Kayura, she was basically unstoppable. The Jewel and the Staff wouldn't harm her because she was part of the Ancient's clan, and we could not beat her."

"So, Talpa took us all prisoner and put us in energy draining towers," I tell them. "This time, he took the Warlords prisoner, too, and they realized Talpa might not be such a great master after all."

"And then . . ." Mia says, but her voice fails her.

"And then, Anubis died," N'deki whispers. Lily gasps, and I snap my head over in N'deki's direction. She's not meeting our eyes. I realize it probably haunts her. I can still see her, blood everywhere, lying on the floor upstairs in this house.

"And Kayura was free," Mia replies, "and Talpa invaded the mortal world again."

"Then Ryo toasted him," Kento says and does a fist pump. "And here we are!"

"Not exactly," Kayura says softly. "Now, I must tell all of you something. Rowen, Ryo, N'deki, and Ariel already know, but it is time the rest of you heard where I went and what transpired. I had a dream, and I sought the valley that was the home of my clan long ago. In this valley, there is a cave. It is where the people in our clan that committed extreme wickedness were sent to die of thirst and hunger."

"You exiled people into a cave?" Kento interrupts. "Did it work?"

"Frightfully so," Kayura continues, and her head droops as she speaks. She's exhausted, and it's taking all her resolve to tell this story. "When I was a young girl, the Ancient One looked for someone who could become an apprentice to the village elder. It was a position of great honor, and my sister was in contention for that spot. She was strong, lively, intelligent, and healthy. She hoped to be the apprentice. It was all she talked about, and I dare say, all she thought about, and I never thought of trying to achieve that position because it would break my sister's heart if she did not receive it.

"When the Ancient chose an apprentice, he picked another boy in our village. I had never seen my sister so upset and angry. She went away that night. In the morning, some of the clan's people found the boy murdered. She claims it was an accident, but she went after him with the intent to harm. My sister, Kikyo, was sentenced to death in the cave.

"It was there that I went several days ago. I was told to go in a dream. I went and retrieved a packet of scrolls from the back of the cave, but something happened at the cave that called back my worst fear.

"The day my sister was sentenced to be killed, the Ancient brought her before the people to proclaim punishment. When it was passed, she started to walk into the cave. Then, from the depths of the cave, came a shadow darker than even the blackness of the eternal night of the earth. She told my sister to come with her and have more power than she ever would have with my clan. She offered my sister life, and when my sister took her hand, this creature looked up at me. This Lady has eyes that burn like the deepest pits in the earth. They smolder, and they stare through your very soul. At that moment, I knew she marked me and knew me."

"Your sister . . ." Rowen muttered, "that was her."

"Yes, but I saw her when I went back to the caves to retrieve more of the Ancient's scrolls," Kayura continued. "I left the cave, and then, my sister, Kikyo, appeared at the entrance of the cave again with the Lady. They captured the Warlords, but I realized the Warlords did not have their armors. Kikyo and this Lady had come for the Oni armor, and they brought the Warlords' lives as a trade."

"And you said hell no," Kento mumbled, but Kayura shot him a quick look. I could see Kento upset her, but Kayura's hurt only confused Kento. I couldn't blame him for feeling zero sympathy for the Warlords.

"Do you not understand? I traded three lives to save one armor!" Kayura exclaimed, and I watched as N'deki began to cry. Great, the entire scene would dissolve into tears.

"It's not your fault," Ariel whispers and pets N'deki's shoulder. "It was the right choice. It's not your fault or Kayura's fault."

N'deki sobs and tries to dry her eyes on the back of her hand. "I-it is! It wasn't worth it. This stupid piece of metal . . ."

"N'deki, stop crying. Seriously, they're not worth it," Rowen replies unemotionally. "Kayura, Ryo, and I had this discussion. It's over. This woman captured the Warlords. They did something right and gave up their armors. The armors are safe, and I don't see the point in rescuing them."

"I thought you said this Lady killed them?" Nakeisha asked.

"No," Kayura replied in a whisper, "They're going to torture them. It is my fault. I should go and save them, I wish I could have then, but I had to protect the armor. I am bound to the duty of the Ancient One."

"Well, it serves them right," Cye mutters. N'deki gasps, and Kayura looks over at me. Cye throws his hands in the air. "Seriously? Kayura, do you expect us to feel bad?"

Seiji puts out his hands and makes gestures for everyone to stay calm. "Kayura, it is pointless to think about going to rescue the Warlords. You had your priorities correct. The armors were more important."

The conversation pauses, and N'deki continues to try to dry her eyes. She didn't seem to be getting anywhere, and Ariel went and got her a box of Kleenex. Finally, in the lull, Mia says, "Well, now that we know what happened to Kayura, how did the four of you receive the armors?"

"How?" Nakeisha asks. "Isn't it the same as how the five of you received your armors?"

I shake my head. "No, the Ancient One revealed them to us, but he's dead. Kayura was also busy at the time."

"I was not able to detect the four armors before they were discovered," Kayura replies now that she has composed herself. "This is something that puzzles me. I think something has . . . happened to the armors. I want to know how they . . . they picked you four."

Nakeisha looks over at Zera and nods. Something unspoken passes between them. "We got the armors the night after the party," Nakeisha begins, "We were sleeping, and I had a dream. Zera had one earlier that upset her, but mine was more . . . vivid."

"How? What did you see?" Nilla asks, and she looks like she is ready to run over to Nakeisha to shake her to get an answer.

Nakeisha bites her lower lip before responding. "Well, I was in a desert. I saw a man. A monk."

"The Ancient. You saw the Ancient," Seiji cuts in, and he looks up at Nakeisha, and then, around at all of us. "The Ancient was helping you, Nakeisha, like he helped us. He wanted you to have the armor."

Nakeisha only shrugs. "I guess that's good, but he left me levitating off my bed."

"_Really_?" Yuli gasps. "Ryo, did you levitate?"

I smirk. It figures something like that would happen to Nakeisha, though. "No, Yuli, but apparently Nakeisha has some special powers."

"You know, Ryo, she might," Kayura cuts back into the conversation. "The armors are known for being powerful on their own, but they amplify certain things about the individual. If you are naturally strong in body, they make you stronger. If your mind is sharp, the armors will increase that, too. However, they use your spirit as well. If you are close to the supernatural elements of this world, the armors would realize this as well."

"You're a witch. Always knew it," Kento quipped, and Nakeisha shot him a look.

"Anyway, I'm glad all of you think this is funny, because Zera and I got our armors the same night, and the next day, we went to learn more about them. We ran into Mia, who didn't help us much," Nakeisha continued.

"In my defense," Mia began, "I wasn't sure if I could trust either of you."

"Well, we got attacked when you left," Nakeisha said, "and we called upon the power of the armor, which Mia actually did tell us how to do." Mia nodded, and Nakeisha frowned, realizing her accusation might have been a little harsh, and then, she continued to talk. "Well, I thought it would be a good idea to come here. Don't ask me why, but I wanted to get away from our pursuers."

"And we saw you pass us on the bus," Cye chimes in, "and we were very confused."

"You saw us?" Nakeisha asks.

"Well, we felt your auras, more accurately," Seiji corrects Nakeisha, who looks slightly bewildered now. I'm also beginning to see that we were all connected long before the actual battles happened.

"You were cruising!" Kento exclaimed as he shoots his arm forward to mimic how fast they were going. Nakeisha rolls her eyes, but a grin slides over Zera's face.

"I was driving," Zera said to take credit.

"Anyway," Nakeisha cuts back into her story, "we crashed and got separated. I got surrounded, and Seiji and Kento came to help me out. I don't know how to fight, okay? Well, I might have done better, but Zera had a sword. I could have used one of those, but I have some weird weapons that I really don't know how to wield."

"We can teach you how," Kayura responds, and Nakeisha givee a nod of approval. "Your training will come very, very soon. Actually, as soon as this is done, we will discuss your training with the armors."

Nakeisha nods again, and she starts to smile. "Nice. I like that plan. Anyway, Zera, what happened?" Nakeisha asks, and a frown comee over her face now. I look at Zera, who stars off into space, refusing to meet any of our gazes. I hadn't really heard what happened to Zera, but apparently, it was worse than what happened to Nakeisha.

"I . . . I went off into the woods. I disposed of my enemies, and then, I thought I was alone," Zera began. "A woman appeared to me. She . . . she was robed in all black, and her eyes . . . her eyes were yellow."

I watch as Seiji's face tightens up, and everyone seems super tense again. "She . . . she told me things that . . . that . . . I can't do this."

Zera shakes her head and throws down her hands upon the counter. Nakeisha puts a hand on her shoulder, but she brushes it off and gets up to leave the room. "Zera," Kayura calls, and the girl freezes, "you cannot leave now. Let Cye finish it for you."

Cye stares down at his feet, and for a moment, I think he might not say anything. "That . . . sorceress, Kayura, she's very clever. She . . . she has some power over me. She . . . she kept me from really helping Zera. She . . . she is very convincing and tells you things you don't want to hear or things you want to hear very badly. That's her power, and . . . and she made me despair and told Zera . . . she told Zera the answers she wanted to hear."

"Is that all?" Seiji asks, and I can hear the frustration in his voice because I feel the same way about how the two of them are skirting around the situation. "I fought her at the park, and she's very powerful, and I will attest to what Cye said about her. She dissipated my sure kill like it was nothing. She just . . . she dissolved it."

"Seiji, she's the _one_," Cye replies, and the two of them look at each other before Cye drops his gaze back down to his feet. "She's the one who . . . _did it_. She came after me."

I furrow my brow, but then Seiji looks up at me. Now, I understand. She changed Cye. I gasp, and I realize the five of us understand. I look up at Kayura, who was studying our reactions. We told Kayura, and I realize she understands, too. Now, the question is, how do we tell the girls?

Zera spins around and stares at Cye. "She . . . she didn't say that," Zera mutters.

Cye looks up at Zera, genuinely irritated and tired. "She was conveniently omitting that part," Cye mutters and rolls his eyes. Zera stiffens, and she walks over and hops up on the counter with Nakeisha again.

"Oh . . ." Rowen gasps, and he looks over at Cye, who doesn't look up from starring at the table cloth pattern. "She told Zera!"

Nakeisha throws her hands up in the air. "Told her what? The rest of you seem to know –"

"I don't know, either," Nilla snaps as she looks around at all of us. "What happened? I think we're stilling missing something."

I knew no one wanted to volunteer to tell this. However, Rowen sighed and threw his hands up. "We weren't done after Talpa was defeated. A shape shifter came after Nilla and me. I don't know who it really wanted, now, but at the time, I thought it came only for me. Anyway, Cye was attacked by wolves, and they cursed him. Apparently, this sorceress was responsible for changing Cye. Anyway, we now know this happened because of these new enemies."

"No, Rowen," Kayura says and shakes her head, "there is only one enemy, and it is the woman I saw so long ago at the cave entrance. She is their mistress."

"Okay, so let's say she's their mistress," Nilla cuts into the conversation, "and that she holds the real power. Who, or what, are the rest of her minions? Lily and I were attacked by the one with four arms, and I'm not sure what she did to me. I saw visions before this happened, and whatever she did to me made me see one long vision."

"She wasn't controlling you?" I ask Nilla, who just shakes her head.

"I guess she might have been, but it was indirectly done," Nilla tells us. "I . . . I saw myself, or a version of myself. I don't know what happened, but I could feel my own power, and it was incredibly strong."

"We noticed," Kento muttered. "Anyway, that's how you got your armor?"

"Well, yes," Nilla replies. "She provoked me into attacking, and . . . my visions told me how to use it."

I raise my eyebrows. That was different, but I couldn't argue with it. Now, all eyes turned to N'deki, who had stopped crying. I knew some of what happened to her, and to me, it seemed the strangest of all of the stories.

"Go ahead," Kayura coaxed, but N'deki just frowned.

"I-I don't want to, really, because it sounds crazy," N'deki replies in a whisper.

"And the rest of our stories sound normal?" Nakeisha asks. N'deki only shrugs, and Ariel wraps an arm around her.

"I came from the Netherworld, although I'm not from that place. I'm from here, but I was captured during Talpa's war. I, obviously," Ariel said as she made a gesture to herself, "had to stay because I-I couldn't go home. I was sent away by the Warlords when the woman and Kikyo attacked," Ariel began, "and was the only one to bear witness to the attack. They were . . . they were very powerful, and the Warlords sent the armors back into the mortal world through the portal, which was guarded, because they couldn't fight the two of them, but they couldn't let them have the armors, either. So, I came back to the mortal world. Then, I crashed through N'deki's window because I was tired and wanted to get out of the air. She healed me because I broke m-my wing."

The room was silent, and then, N'deki raised her head and squeezed Ariel's hand. "I-I could heal before this happened. I wasn't really powerful or good at it, but I could do it. Then, I started to have d-dreams of the armor. Except, I wasn't wearing the armor. I saw things through the e-eyes of A-anubis."

"Whoa," Kento mutters, "that's just weird."

"Shhh." Mia shoots everyone a look, and N'deki bites her lower lip. I thought she might stop speaking, and when she looks up at me, I nod to encourage her to keep going.

"I-I saw things. They got stronger. I k-knew, in a way, that the five of you were involved. Then, I got my armor. I-I put it on when they attacked me. I ran, and Ariel and I tried to escape them, but we were corned. Rowen came to help first, and then, Kayura and Ryo drove them off. When Ariel was hurt, I tried to heal her."

"And it almost killed you," I replied. N'deki nods and hangs her head.

"I-I also remember what happened during the war. I think the Ancient wanted me to remember. I needed to know, I guess . . ."

"You know some of what happened in the war because you've seen it in dreams?" Seiji asks, and N'deki only nods. The room goes silent again, and now, no one knows what to say. We sit there, and then, Kayura reaches down into the bag she had with her and dumps its contents onto the table. Scrolls and old parchment float everywhere.

"These," Kayura responds, "are the scrolls I found in the cave. We should look at them. They may tell us who has come for us."

A/N: Two more chapters left in this part. I know, it's a lot of talking, but if there is anything you want clearified that's happened this far, please tell me. I know, there are a lot of OCs in this story, too, so please feel free to comment on them, too. I don't want their presence to over power that of the original characters. Maybe a longer note to come next chapter, morganRay.


	30. The Ancient's Story

**Disclaimer: **This is a long chapter. It's a lot of talk, but I feel it needs to be here. I interjected things with first person perspectives to make it more interesting and pertinent to the story. Notes on the history and some reasoning will be placed after the chapter. I would say that's important. I obviously don't own any character I didn't create. Historical figures included.

**The Ancient's Story**

(Ryo)

Kayura sorted through the stack of scrolls, and gradually, concern began to cross her face. "I . . . I cannot read any of this," Kayura replied softly. "This is all in another language."

"All of it?" Mia asked and began to look through the parchment on her own. After a moment, she replied, "I've never seen any writing like this before now. I can't read any of this. Kayura, who wrote this?"

Kayura paused and looked up at Mia. "I do not know. I found it with . . . with a skeleton. It was buried in the back of the cave. Let us look through it all."

White Blaze whimpered, and Yuli went over to quiet him. "There, there White Blaze. It's okay. What's the matter, anyway?"

Kayura looked down at the tiger. "He went with me to the cave. I could not have gone without him. He . . . he seemed to know about what was in the cave. I am sorry to have taken him from you, but he was a great help." White Blaze began to purr, and he kept his eyes on Kayura as she went back to sorting through the scrolls.

It wasn't long before I became bored. "So, any more deep, pressing questions?"

"Yes," Nilla replied, "who exactly are we fighting? We never answered that riddle, did we?"

"They're really powerful, and one of them is Kayura's sister," Kento replied. "I think that's all we need to know."

Nilla groaned and threw her hands up. "No, Kento, are they demons? What are they?" Nilla asked.

"I don't think they're demons," Rowen replied. "I can't say why, but they aren't using youja soldiers or ankoku spirits. They don't have Talpa's trademarks, you know."

"Do you think the rest of them are human?" Cye asked. "Kikyo is, but . . ."

Kayura's head snapped up at the mention of her sister. "Kikyo, yes," she began slowly, "but I will say the lady at the cave is not human. She is . . . something else. I am not sure what, though, but I do not think she is a demon, either."

"Well, that's great," Kento muttered. "We've got no demons—"

"Which isn't a bad thing," Cye added. "I think no demons is a very good thing."

"Yeah, but we've got a bunch of freaks to fight now," Kento grumbled. I frowned. I agreed with him, of course. I wanted to know who we were fighting.

"Here! Kayura, look at this!" Mia shouted as she began to unroll a scroll. "I can read this, Kayura! Look at it!"

There was complete silence as Kayura unrolled the wrinkled scroll from the ornate leather satchel. It was a huge volume almost twice the size of even Kento's arm. She found the beginning and unrolled the first dozen lines and began to read in a soft, subdued voice.

"I, Kaosu, am writing this to you now, when I feel that my time is almost spent. Much meditation has gone into the past ages, and now, I shall lay it with the secrets I have not even read. When the time is proper, let it be opened and revealed. This is the history of Kaosu and all he knows concerning the extinct Clan of Elberssëa, the nine armors, the demon Talpa, and all the events he witnessed."

"I . . . cannot read this," Kayura whispered hoarsely as she closed the scroll. She stared up into the faces of all of us in the room. Her eyes were laden with sorrow as she stood up from the table and took a seat beside N'deki.

Hesitantly, Mia walked over to the scroll and unrolled the first couple paragraphs. She skimmed it before muttering, "I can read it for you, if that's okay."

When there was no response, Mia sat down where Kayura had been. There were several seconds of silence that hung like a dense fog in the air as she unraveled the scroll to the next section that had been written. Mia skimmed the first lines and began to read in a steady, narrative voice.

_"In the days of old, there were a people skilled in understanding the kami. They were mortal, but highly favored by the goddess of the stars. Her servant, Umiel, had come to them in ages past when the land was young and man first walked untainted beneath the sky. Umiel had sang atop the hill of Varina, as the people called it in later times, but which it is called no more, and all around who heard the song, and were not corrupt, came to her. There, Umiel taught them much before she departed, and they dwelt atop the hill where she had first come to them, which they named Varina._

_"In that time, they called themselves the Elquendi, the people of the stars. They named the brightest star above Varina Umiel, and the star to its right Inanna, in honor of the lady of the stars that Umiel had sung to them about in one of her songs. During that time, the Elquendi prospered and grew in number and sang to the stars each night and became greater than many of the peoples that lived upon the earth for they were favored._

_"There was a woman named Irea who was one of the Elquendi. She was gifted in foresight and pure of heart. When she came into her womanhood, she walked upon Varina as the stars appeared, and there, Tisku, a farmer in the village, espied her as she sang a song to Umiel. He was smitten by her charm and approached her, and the two walked together until morning light. In time, Tisku wed Irea, and she birthed him a son two years later in the heat of summer. She named their first child Eltura, but she conceived again and soon bore Tisku another son when the trees first came into blossom. She named him Saku, and her sons made her heart glad._

_"Eltura grew in strength and became a mighty hunter while Saku sat for many hours under the stars and listened to the songs that were sung each night. When Saku had reached his fourteen-year, Eltura beckoned him to travel out of Varina and over the mountains with him to trade with the people in the valleys beyond their borders. Saku and Eltura went together, with a host of their people, and they traveled to lands Saku had never before seen._

_"When they crossed through a high mountain pass on their journey back to Varina after two years, Eltura pursued a wild deer into the mountains. There, he met with a demon that gored him beyond healing. Saku searched for his brother, but when he found him days later as the sun rose, Eltura lay dead_.

(N'deki)

I do not know why this story makes me so sad, but I'm about to cry. Kayura sits in front of me, and her knuckles are white while she grips the staff. I blink back tears, and I try to listen. Mia is going to continue reading, but this story hurts me.

He lost his brother. It sounded as if they loved each other.

I can see my dad's gray eyes as he smiles at me.

_"Saku was grieved and refused to return home with the other travelers. He bade them bring news to Varina about Eltura's death. Saku buried Eltura's body in the earth that he had loved to hunt and wander. Saku then strayed in the mountains for an uncounted time, mourning the loss of his brother. He did not look up at the stars, for they did not seem fair to him any longer, and yet, the earth seemed to hold no beauty because it seemed to be stuck in an eternal winter._

(Zera)

An eternal winter.

I wonder if I'm living in one now. Winter has always been my friend, even if it is a temperamental and bitter friend.

I want to look over at Nakeisha, but I don't want to meet her eyes.

_"In the night after many bitter days, Saku walked beside a mountain stream that led up to a high summit. However, the stream flowed into a valley hidden from sight, and Saku wandered into it, unknowing where he was going. He crossed the valley under the stars and arrived on the far side when the sky turned gray before dawn. There, Saku found a hidden way, no wider than a man, in the side of the valley, and he crawled into it. There, in the center, was a small lake, but it seemed dead and frozen as if still in the clutch of winter._

_"As the dawn broke over the horizon, Saku rested beneath one of the withered trees. He put his head in his hands, unable to weep for his sorrow long ago spent all his tears. As he looked up, a golden light touched his eyes, but it was not from the sun. Across the lake walked a woman so radiant it appeared to Saku that she was crafted from the purest gold in the earth, yet _

_she shone brighter than the sun. As she walked around the lake and towards Saku, the earth became fair again and leapt from its winter slumber into a fervent spring. Saku became enchanted with the earth, beholding it now fairer than the stars for the light of the Golden Lady was in his eyes._

_"She approached him and smiled. He sat deftly as she stretched out both of her hands, in which she held a tree branch, towards him. 'My child, long has your heart been wrapped in darkness. Let it be so no more! See the earth made new!' With these words, she sang a song sweet and fair, although Saku did not understand what she spoke. It seemed a song of strength and glory, yet of gentleness that healed his heart._

_"When she had finished her song, she formed a rod of pure beauty from the very loveliness of her words and the branch she held. She stretched this out to Saku and told him, 'Take this, my son, Kaosu, first born of my children among mortals. Let not your heart be troubled by the evil in the world. This gift I give to you to save those, who wish it, from powers of evil. Take heart! We may not meet again, for my heart tells me I shall soon be sundered beyond these lands by a great sea that no living one can cross.'_

_"Then, she smiled again and departed, and for time out of mind I, Kaosu, sat beneath that tree and stared at the gift given to me by the Golden Lady. Long does her image linger, but I never saw her walk again upon the earth and my heart mourned, knowing that one so gracious would never be in the circles of this world again._

(Kayura)

I can see her in my mind's eye. She is the opposite of the Dark Lady, and it is her eyes now I am trying to picture. I imagine, in those eyes, there was a beauty to match the darkness I had seen.

The staff is in my hands.

I am holding this gift.

_"Eventually, Kaosu awoke by the lake to find it less fair because the Lady had left, yet it was still in spring. He perceived he had slept long and tarried for too great a time beside the lake. Kaosu walked back into the valley, which had changed since he had seen it last, and he knew that he had slept long by the lake._

_"Kaosu journeyed, being led by the staff, over a wide range of land. Still, he could find no rest, but he ever felt the presence and the power of the golden rod he held. He then came to a group of monks, the Shugendo, who were a strange type of priest that were often called in later times 'yamabushi' or the 'Mountain warriors.' They were called this because they practiced Shinto combined with Buddhism, yet they also were gifted in magic and fought well. It also happened that they lived by a lake, and as the sun rose, the lake sparkled like a pearl, and Kaosu's heart was captivated._

"_What do you call this place?' Kaosu asked their chief priest, Keitaro. 'Houseki,' Keitaro answered. 'It means Jewel.' Then, the golden rod was transfigured into a shakujo, and Kaosu took it as a sign to stay with the Shugendo and learn from them."_

(Kento)

The Ancient's order.

I never gave much of a thought to where he came from.

He was just there.

Why did I just think he just materialized out of the air?

_"Kaosu left the valley to return to Varina, but in that time, a great darkness came over the sky. Kaosu was shaken, but he gripped the staff that the Lady had given to him and walked onwards, allowing the staff to guide him to Varina in the ever-growing night. But this night was evil, and for days upon days the sun and stars did not shine, and after a time, Kaosu came upon a great clearing. In the clearing Kaosu saw a figure black and more terrible than any evil ever could be. In this hour, I, Kaosu, first beheld the demon Talpa."_

(Ryo)

Talpa.

When had I first seen Talpa?

The day he invaded the city, and that day had changed all of our lives.

_"Around his neck he wore a gem encased in a shroud of darkness that floated off his chest as if not wanting to rest upon it. His arraignment was in an armor dark and terrible, and he towered over the clearing and held a mighty spear with a point of many razors in his hand. In his other hand, he held a great broad sword. Below him, Kaosu then spotted two smaller figures in the clearing. One was a woman clad in leather armor embroidered with gold that seemed to sparkle even in the darkness. She held in each hand a glistening sword that glowed white-hot. The other figure was a man who had stripped himself to trousers and a simple shirt. He held a single shield that glittered like the furnaces of the depths of the earth in front of him._

_"Even as Kaosu approached the clearing, he heard the demon speak. 'Fools! Death will come to you swiftly, but your souls will suffer slowly! Not even the mighty immortals can withstand me! I, Talpa, will rule this world!' In that moment, the woman leapt into the air, trying to slice his neck. He cast her off with his arm. When he went to smite her, the man leapt in front of her and blocked the attack with his shield. However, the earth was completely withered from the demon's attack._

_"As Kaosu entered the edge of the clearing, the demon called, 'Hariel! Let me slay the wrench, for you shall be tortured beyond the ends of the world!' Then, the man, Hariel spoke. 'Nay, you foul beast, I will cast you down, out of space and time, and you shall die a thousand deaths!' Then, he lunged at the demon, and his shield clashed with the spear many times. However, the demon was too great, and Hariel could not overcome him._

_"Kaosu approached the woman, who stood again, and he saw she was covered in gold tattoos that moved fluidly across her leather and skin. 'You are not mortal,' Kaosu said as he helped her stand. Her eyes, brighter than a pit of fire, met his and she said, 'No! I am Amaterasu, and I am the last of the Loyal Ones. Alas!' Then, a tear slid down her cheek, and it _

_made I, Kaosu, sad to see this, and I took pity on her, even arrayed in her might. 'It is too late that Hariel has come back to us from darkness! The foul demon has the Jewel of Life!'_

_"She then pointed to the black stone around the demon's neck. She turned to I, Kaosu, and spoke again. 'That staff is blessed. If you can, aid us.' Then, she charged the demon again, leaping over Hariel, to try and cut him in the arm. However, the armor was so powerful that she was thrown back, but Amaterasu arose and struck him repeatedly. Even her and Hariel together were still too weak, for the demon Talpa was great._

(Ryo)

I can see it in my mind. It is the end for them.

He hasn't said it, but I know it.

I can see the might of Talpa.

He is arrayed in his full battle armor.

A shiver crawls down my spine.

_"In a moment when Talpa had his back to Kaosu, he caught sight of the string that held the Jewel of Life around his neck. He threw the Staff of the Golden Lady towards it, and the staff was true and caught the string, wrenching it from the demon's neck. The Jewel dropped across the clearing beside the staff. As Kaosu watched, the darkness that cloaked it disappeared, and the Jewel shone as bright as the star Inanna, yet it rested on the earth._

_"The demon roared in anger, for the Staff had weakened him and struck his shoulder. Amaterasu then leapt into the air and with a mighty effort she went to severe the demon's arm. However, he smote her with his spear in the other hand, casting her down to the earth, never to rise again._

"_At that moment, Hariel was filled with a mighty rage. He charged the demon, and thrust out his hands, casting aside his shield. Picking up the Jewel, which had fallen by the staff, he placed both hands upon the demon's chest and called, 'I am the child of Ishatar! I claim this power for I am one of her children unborn!'_

"_The armor then shifted away from the demon and much of its power came to Hariel, but a dark raiment still cloaked Talpa. The demon pulled away in anger, but as he did, he knocked the Jewel from Hariel's hand. Now, Hariel wore an armor as white as Amaterasu's swords, while Talpa's armor was of a deep black cave where no stars shine._

"_Talpa and Hariel battled long upon the earth under a brooding sky of darkness. Their clashes echoed across the land and through the mountains, yet Amaterasu did not move. I, Kaosu, walked over to find the staff, by which the Jewel once again lay._

"_Talpa then hefted his spear high above his head and smote Hariel in the breast with it. He laughed, harsh and terrible, as the light went out from Hariel's eyes as he sunk down upon the shaft. The demon bent down to remove the spear from the fallen warrior and reclaim his armor. This he did, for Kaosu could think of nothing he could do to stop him."_

(Lily)

This Kaosu, their Ancient, he too was a bystander.

I know how useless he feels. He just watches.

There's nothing else for him to do but stare on as death and battle rage. He is a monk of power, no doubt, but these are immortals.

What can he do against such great forces?

"_Kaosu walked over to the fallen warrior, Hariel, who had fallen on his shield, and Kaosu rolled the warrior over so that he rested on his back. Kaosu took the Jewel, rebound the string, and hid it under his clothes for it seemed too brilliant for this world. Hariel's eyes were open, yet empty of life, and Kaosu thought that he surely must be one of the gods for he was striking to look upon, even in death._

"_Kaosu, in the gathering dark, then perceived a dull gleam not far from where Hariel fell. He walked towards it to find the two beautiful swords of Amaterasu, who had fallen not far away. He picked up the two blades, which were surprisingly light, and then saw a cloak and bag made of fine leather, and with the same gold tattoos that Amaterasu bore, sitting on the edge of the clearing. He grabbed these, too, and approached Amaterasu, and to his shock, she had not died, but Kaosu saw that she was mortally wounded._

"_I can heal you,' he declared valiantly as he showed her the staff and held out the Jewel. She smiled weakly and spoke one last time to him. 'My time is over. You and your mortal people have been chosen. Carry Hariel and me to a cave and lay us together with his mighty shield. Do not read what lies in that bag, for it carries messages of doom. Those who read it are destined to become entangled in it. But he has won. Doom is upon you.' Then, she spoke her last, yet, she still lived, but Kaosu found that neither the staff nor the Jewel would heal her, since she had decided to give up her life. Yet, while she still lived, he bore her away, wrapped in her cloak, and arrived upon the very valley where he had entered the secret cleft and seen the Golden Lady._

"_When he reached the valley, Kaosu saw a white tiger walking across it. He waited for the tiger, and as it approached, he perceived it as an ally. Then, it led him to a cave, and the tiger walked with him into it. He carried Amaterasu there, and in the deepest part of the cave, laid the goddess and her bag. He then retrieved the dead warrior and laid him beside her, and over the two of them, he placed the heavy shield that was wielded in battle by Hariel._

(Kayura)

I am shaking. I feel I should know better.

But I cannot help it.

I saw the shield. I see the cave again.

I know whose hand White Blaze licked.

I think I am crying.

"_Kaosu hallowed the cave and only one that bore the staff could enter into the sacred place where Hariel and Amaterasu lay and not perish. Then, he left the valley and departed for his own people. When he arrived in Varina, his heart was grieved, for he saw that the land, which he had so loved, had been stricken in the battle, for the armies of the demon had seen that the Elquendi had been favored and were prosperous and powerful. Then, I, Kaosu wept for my people, for many had perished in the coming of the evil demon._

_"It was then that I, Kaosu, decided to pursue the demon, Talpa, on my own, for his evil could not go unchecked in this land. Kaosu readied himself in proper battle attire, and then, found a quiet place to meditate. When the time was right, he went to find the demon, and the tiger at the cave came with him, for it sought to make itself his companion._

_"Kaosu followed the darkness and found destruction in the demon's wake. Truly, he was powerful, and Kaosu found the demon in the midst of carnage caused by his hand. Upon a dark horse, the demon Talpa declared, 'You puny mortals! Face Talpa, Master of the Evil Dynasty! You asked for a further demonstration of my power!' And then, the demon struck down his foes, and Kaosu witnessed the power of the demon again, and he was stirred to action._

_"As Kaosu approached him, the demon spoke. 'Who dares challenge me?' Kaosu knew he did not recognize him from the battle with the gods, but this was because his attention was drawn else ware, and even the loss of his dark stone did not bother him after he defeated Amaterasu and Hariel._

_"'I will not allow you to claim this world for your own, you demon,' Kaosu said, and as he went to raise the staff, he found it transfigured into a brilliant, golden sword. But he did not have time to wonder at the weapon, for the demon was prepared to destroy him. 'Fight me!' Then, in response to his challenge, the demon laughed and charged Kaosu._

_"'How foolish!' the demon declared as he slashed from his dark stead. But Kaosu found he had power that was untested from his time in the mountains, and he dodged the attack. Then, the tiger came to Kaosu's aid and leaped upon the dark stead, and the demon came to stand in front of Kaosu. 'A fair blow, but I'm not so easily bested!' the demon said as they faced each other._

_"As if compelled by a spirit of higher power, Kaosu was moved to speak. 'There were darker days when your kind roamed the earth, but you were banished to another realm long ago. An age of enlightenment has begun, and you have no place in it! I was the one chosen to protect this world from the chaos you spawn!' When he finished speaking, Kaosu felt a great strength build inside of him, for he knew he spoke the truth, but the demon was not silent. 'Then you are a fool! I wield the forces of the dark world by the might of this armor. The Dynasty of Evil was born, and I used its power to open the gates again into this realm. I will conquer!'_

_"Then the demon charged, and Kaosu ran to meet him. The heat of battle was upon him, and in his soul, Kaosu knew he must triumph of all would be lost. A great clash was heard, and as they strove sword against sword, Talpa declared an early victory, for his strength began to wax and overtake Kaosu. 'You will die!' At this, Kaosu called out, 'Staff!'_

_"In that moment, he struck the blow to the demon's chest and pierced the armor. The staff was true, and its power defeated the demon. As he realized he had been beaten, Talpa spoke for the last time to Kaosu. 'I would know who has vanquished me.' 'I am, and always will be, the guardian of this world.' Then, the demon Talpa made a threat unto Kaosu. 'Someday, by the power of the armor, I will return again, even if it takes a thousand years.' Then the demon fell._

(Ryo)

It was in another dark time that the Ancient showed this very same scene to me.

Now I see it again through his words.

It was darker then, but now it's a new darkness.

I knew so little about the Ancient.

But he came through great darkness.

_"Kaosu stepped over the fallen demon. 'I will be waiting Talpa, but until then, you will dwell . . . in exile!' Kaosu thrust his sword of the staff into the demon, and a dark cloud of power left him and departed the world. The darkness the demon Talpa brought began to clear. 'Strange,' Kaosu spoke to only himself now, 'his soulless armor still remains in this world. And as long as it's whole, Talpa will have a way to keep his vow and return here.'_

_"Kaosu shed his armor, and the sword of the staff became once more the simpler staff he had carried on his journeys. Then, I, Kaosu, was able to dissolve the armor of the demon Talpa with much effort that left him weary. Out of the armor of the demon Talpa, Kaosu created nine separate armors with the aid of the staff and assigned each a virtue to guard against Talpa's evil: Jin, Rei, Shin, Chi, Gi, Chu, Ko, Nin, and Tei. For the words of the Lady came back to him: 'This gift I give to you to save those, who wish it, from powers of evil.'_

(Seiji)

The armors were his gift to us, though I wonder if he guessed how it would end.

Maybe he did.

And our hope would be in the armors.

Our gift from his labors.

_"Kaosu longed to return to his homeland. Before he did so, he blessed the armors, and they became orbs of energy. When the armors changed into orbs, the staff began to react with loud clanging. And then, it stopped, and Kauso knew the swords, the armors, and the Jewel were left to his care. He deemed to take them with him and hide them by the lake where the Lady had first appeared to him."_

(Zera)

He wanted to go home.

I knew things wouldn't be as they were.

Homelands could change a lot, and I knew this very well.

Nothing ever stayed the same.

_"Kaosu returned to find many have fled Varina because they believed it cursed. Some still wept upon the hills where once they sang when Kaosu entered into the village. When they saw him, the remainder of the people flocked to him for help, since they were sorely grieved and perceived the power that had come upon him. At that moment, Kaosu decreed that they should bury the dead in honor, and he would show them a new land where they could live._

"_When they arrived in the valley which had been yet unlived in and unharmed, the people rejoiced amid their grief. They called the valley Elberssëa, Island of the Stars, and they called themselves the Clan of Elberssëa and gave up the name Elquendi because their people had been sundered. They lived alone and in seclusion, but they prospered in this way. After several seasons, Kaosu told them he would be their priest, but not their leader in other affairs, for his mind was bent on the fate of the nine armors, the swords, and the Jewel. For Kaosu always heard the demon's threat in his mind, and the power of all the armors were beyond him to master._

(Kayura)

I can see my homeland now.

But I can feel his trouble.

I feel it, too.

The power of the armors is ever beyond me, and I cannot see their fates.

I long for the lost days of the valley cradled in the mountains.

"_However, Kaosu obliged the people and chose for them new leaders to settle disputes and normal affairs and withdrew himself from the clan except for festivals. There came a time, however, when Kaosu had to settle one dispute that sorely tested his mind and spirit. He had picked Akito, a young man at that time, as the next leader of the people. There was another woman, Kikyo, beautiful among his people and strong in body, who he had considered to be the next leader but decided Akito had a more generous heart._

"_The day before Akito was to be sworn in, Kikyo sought the boy. What occurred between the two, I, Kaosu never discovered. In the end, during the night under the stars, Kikyo murdered Akito. His body was found near daybreak, and the village mourned for him and sought in anger to discover his murderer. When they could not, everyone assembled before Kaosu so that he could discern the guilty. With a heavy heart, I, Kaosu, saw that it was Kikyo and asked her for a confession. In that moment, Kikyo confessed her sin unto the assembly and all were aghast._

(Rowen)

Kayura's sister.

I had seen her in battle, and the difference between the two wasn't great.

They would look like twins if Kayura were still in the Dynasty.

_"Kaosu then passed judgment on Kikyo and declared that she should be sent into the cave where she would die when she passed the sacred place. All were reverent of the cave, but knew they would die if they entered. In front of the cave entrance that day, Kaosu called forth Kikyo's family to disown her and proclaim their judgment upon her. Her mother, Ayame, and her father, Matsu, along with her sister, Kayura, stood by Kaosu to judge her. Her father, her mother, and then her sister proclaimed her guilty. Kaosu then ordered the girl to go into the cave, where she would die, and he would guard the entrance so she could not sneak away._

"_As she passed the threshold, a figure that seemed to be darker than the cave called out, 'Kikyo, dear daughter, swear yourself to me, for they have forsaken you.' The voice was cold as rock that has never seen the sun, and I, Kaosu, felt a deep foreboding when I heard it. 'Yes, if you will save me,' Kikyo answered hopefully. 'I will,' the feminine voice said as the figure walked forward to the edge of the cave, where she met Kikyo._

"_The hill seemed darkened as she stood there, a woman clad in a long, black gown, woven from the very darkness itself, with ebony hair that did not gleam, but soaked up the light. Her eyes, too, were pits of darkness, but in their pits smoldered the fires of the underworld. Kaosu held out his staff, which shone like a flame of gold in her presence, as the rings clanged unceasingly, to protect his people. At that moment, she grinned wickedly at him as she stood behind Kikyo and wrapped both of her arms around her. Her sister, Kayura, shivered in fear, for the Dark Lady looked at her. The Dark Lady laughed and retreated into the cave._

(Nakeisha)

Betrayal among siblings.

I feel an ache in my soul.

I can't help but think of Sean.

"_I, Kaosu, felt great power and evil from her, and the Clan of Elberssëa was shaken. At that hour, I ventured forth from the valley, seeking to hide the Jewel and the swords, for I felt they could no longer rest in the valley. I knew now that one of our own was allied with a powerful evil, and that she could find the treasures if she sought them._

"_Kaosu journeyed, being led by the staff and the Jewel, to a great chasm in the earth. There, he cast the swords, and he placed a magic fence of great power around it, for Kaosu had grown much in magic over the years, yet his aging had proceeded slowly, for the staff had blessed him with rich life. As he traveled farther, he could still not find a place where the Jewel would rest. Kaosu then thought of the lake Houseki where he had been trained. When Kaosu reached the lake, he told Keitaro, 'I have been weary of late, and I need this Jewel to be kept safe, for it is more precious than it may appear.' 'Surely you know I will,' Keitaro swore, 'Even if my body dies, I will keep this safe.'_

"_In a dream one night, Kaosu was troubled, for he felt a dark spirit and a deep evil growing in the world. He bid farewell to the Shugendo and journeyed back to his people in Elberssëa. _

_When he arrived, I, Kaosu grieved, for the valley had been raped and everything destroyed. In blood, a message had been written for me. 'I will take my armor back that you stole. I will take my vengeance for your aid to the goddess and the traitor.' I deemed this message was written by the demon, and for many days, I, Kaosu, went throughout the valley and buried any dead of the Clan of Elberssëa I could find. Thankfully, the demon had not found the armors._

(Cye)

So, was it all for nothing?

I feel my heart despair.

All his people are dead. He is alone.

All the Ancient's long years seem like a curse to me.

"_During the night, Kaosu meditated, letting the staff guide him, and when he had finished, he realized that the armor and the power in the nine pearls had come from the demon. He knew now that these pearls had been used by the evil demon, and yet, by noble Hariel. He spent time uncounted and meditated on each virtue he had learned from the Shugendo, for he deemed that these virtues had protected the armors. In his heart, he heard the words of Amaterasu: 'You and your mortal people have been chosen.' He felt it right and just, therefore, to give them unto mortals, for he realized that this demon was trying to return, and that it would be the job of mortals to defeat him."_

(N'deki)

It would be our job to defeat this demon.

What a huge task! Even knowing that it happened, I cannot believe the Ronin Warriors did it.

What awaits us?

"_The land had changed much since the days of the Elquendi on Varina, and Kaosu knew that there were great warriors grown now among the numerous peoples on the island chain on which he lived. For many days, Kaosu meditated, seeking in earnest those who could use the mighty power that had passed from the demon to Hariel and now to his keeping. I, Kaosu, always remembered that these armors, the swords, nor the Jewel were mine, but only the staff had been given to me._

"_When the sun broke into a blazing dawn on the eve of spring as Kaosu sat by the sacred lake, which had remained undefiled, the nine armors began to glow, and the staff began to clank in the quiet. The Jewels then departed from his sight, and for many more days, Kaosu waited in his valley for a sign of what he should do._

"_One morning, when Kaosu woke, the sky blazed a brilliant golden color, and Kaosu saw that the trees had all burst into flower while he slept. The rings on his staff chimed in accord, and I, Kaosu, knew it was time to seek out the kanji. I did not know yet what specific power each _

_pearl possessed except for the kanji that was given unto them. I felt that they were ready to serve, and I traveled from the valley, following the light and the staff._

(Nilla)

So, this Ancient knew as little about the armors as we did.

They do seem to have a life of their own.

And the armors picked their bearers.

"_Through mist Kaosu walked, feeling that the day would draw near when he would reach his destination. Time out of mind had passed, and Kaosu realized the strength of the staff set him apart, for he perceived changes streaking across the world, even as he walked everyday closer to where he needed to go. Yet, his destination was unclear to him, but he followed a gentle nudging from the Lady's staff, which urged him to continue without stopping. Time was pressing, and Kaosu knew the power of the demon was once again growing."_

_"On the fifth day of his journey, Kaosu traveled through the night, and during the gray dawn, climbed a green hill. As Kaosu walked, he heard the galloping of a steed upon the ground. Looking up, Kaosu perceived a young man riding upon a chestnut stallion across the land. As he watched, the sun leapt into the sky, and the first rays struck both man and stallion. The stallion's coat appeared to be made of glittering gold, and light like that of the staff glowed around the head of the young man. I, Kaosu, perceived, for a moment, a light on the brow of the man who rode to meet me on the hilltop._

"_When the man reached the hilltop, he exclaimed, 'Are you one of the gods! That light in your hand appears as the very sun in the sky upon this earth!' A fay lock of hair fell in front of the man's right eye. Kaosu bowed and replied, 'Nay, I am not a god, but from afar, there was a light upon you, too, and I would ask your name, for I am known only as Kaosu.' The young man returned the bow and replied, 'I am Botenmaru Date, and I would be honored to invite a man with such a magnificent treasure into my home.' Leading his horse, Botenmaru led Kaosu back to his own dwelling, which sprawled across a vast area._

(Seiji)

My heart leaps in my chest.

The armor passed into my family, but this story I never heard.

I did not think it was used before I had it.

Then again, how would the stories about the armor have been known?

There is much we were never told.

_"When they reached his abode, Kaosu spied a fair woman walking among the trees. Bird song was heard from the gardens in which she walked, and when she spied Kaosu, she gasped _

_and prostrated herself on the ground. Before Kaosu could go over to the woman, Botenmaru led him inside. After a time of hearing Botenmaru speak of issues pertaining to his clan, Kaosu said, 'I saw a very fair woman in the gardens when we arrived. I would like to know her name, for she seemed startled to see me.' Botenmaru replied that, if she was in the gardens at such an hour, she must have been his wife, Lady Shina, who was rumored to be one of the fairest women in that part of the land. Botenmaru then said, 'Do not mind if she was foolish, for she often behaves oddly as of late.'_

_"Kaosu spent the night in Botenmaru's house, but the time had not yet come to speak to him about the true matters on his mind. At dawn, Kaosu rose to meditate, and during so, he perceived a light glowing in the distance, and then, another light, but farther away. However, in his mind, a cloud of darkness formed, and Kaosu felt once again that urgency which propelled him to find Botenmaru. Kaosu broke from meditation when he heard hoof beats, and he saw Botenmaru approaching. Before she disappeared, he saw Lady Shina watching him. The Lady and her strange gazes troubled Kaosu's heart, but he thought no more of it as he once again joined Botenmaru._

_"Once again, he could not find a way to tell Botenmaru about the kanji, for he was unsure if Botenmaru could truly be trusted with such a treasure since even Kaosu himself did not bear an armor. Yet, he also wondered if Botenmaru did yet indeed possess the kanji, or if it had yet to reveal itself to Botenmaru. Kaosu spent another night and another day with Botenmaru, but was unable to decipher if the kanji pearl had indeed come to him yet, but a shadow of a threat began to grow in his mind._

(Zera)

So, no one knew how to find the armors.

I don't feel quite as useless.

Compared to them, we didn't do badly.

Not bad at all.

_"On the third night Kaosu spent in Botenmaru's house, he stayed up late into the night to meditate to seek the answers of the kanji. During his meditations, he was disturbed, and found that Lady Shina had entered his room. 'Sir,' she began as she once again prostrated herself before him, 'I have sensed you are one with great power. In you and your staff I perceive a great light, and you appeared as one blazing with the sun and the light of Amaterasu herself when I first beheld you.' At these words, Kaosu was struck dumb, and asked for the Lady to continue. 'My husband, sir, although he is noble, has been troubled as of late. He leaves me in the night and rides away until after dawn. He seeks the sunrise, and his restlessness bothers both of us. It began after I dreamt that I saw a star descending upon his brow while he slept. Then, I saw the virtue of 'rei' inscribed upon his head where the star touched. I am troubled, sir, and cannot make sense of this. I beg you for an answer for I know you have it.'_

_"Lady,' Kaosu said as he bid her to rise, 'you have given me an answer. I seek the one who bears the kanji, and it seems your husband indeed does. Come, we shall find him and meet him at dawn.' So, the pair left the dojo and walked a great distance, and the staff led Kaosu. As _

_the sun rose, they came upon Botenmaru riding across the land, and once again, Kaosu perceived a star upon his brow, and he trusted the words of Lady Shina. He hailed Botenmaru, and when the man stopped, Kaosu bid him to produce the pearl that he owned. At first, Botenmaru appeared troubled, and asked, 'But I have no such thing. I saw in a dream that I owned a shining pearl the color of spring grass that I stowed upon myself, but it was a dream.' Kaosu bid him to reach into the place where he stored the pearl in his dream. Botenmaru searched in a pocket, and then, with a gasp of wonder, produced one of the sparkling kanji."_

(Nakeisha)

It was like what happened with us!

I just reached and my armor appeared.

_"You are chosen, Date Botenmaru, as worthy to bear a great power,' Kaosu told the man and his wife. 'Your wife has seen this gifted unto you, but only you can use it. Indeed, the virtue bestowed upon you blazes even now upon your forehead, and your strength shall be in the spirit, for you gleam with light when you ride in the sunrise.' At these words, the man fell down at Kaosu's feet and begged for guidance, for he confessed he felt a trouble in his mind, and had been seeking aid. Then, I, Kaosu, was granted a perception, and I told him to rise and call upon the virtue of 'rei,' for it would aid him._

_"Botenmaru called up his virtue and was cloaked in an armor that blazed forth the light of the dawn. He glittered like a brilliant emerald as the sunlight struck him, and the Lady's staff jingled as it sensed his power. Then, the mouth of Lady Shina was moved, and she said, 'Behold! A halo is around Date Botenmaru! There will be no cloud to obscure the light! A thunderbolt will come from his hands and split the darkness! Behold! There is a cloud gathering near Kyoto! Ride now! Ride with the dawn before the day is lost to darkness!' Then, she became faint, and Kaosu steadied her, but her words awakened a great fear in his heart. Indeed, he too had felt a cloud growing in his mind, and now, he perceived a sudden strike from a shadow. 'We must make haste!' Kaosu told Botenmaru. 'Take your armor off for now, and we shall ride together to Kyoto to avert the danger which is coming. The shadow of evil is coming upon us from another world. Leave your business with ones you trust, for I desire you in my service against foes other than men for a time.'_

(Seiji)

Shivers run up and down my spine.

I don't look at anyone.

I can see the scene in my mind's eye.

But it is not my ancestor that dons the armor for the first time.

It is I.

_"That very day the two rode together south to Kyoto. Kaosu was greatly troubled by what Lady Shina had spoken, but Botenmaru asked him while they rested, 'What evil is coming? You perceive much, but you have told me little.' Kaosu said that he was in search of nine kanji pearls, and he foresaw they could be in use now. 'What do they do?' Botenmaru asked. 'I am uncertain, but you may know more than I,' Kaosu confessed. 'It was gifted unto you, and its power is yours to know.'_

_"After days of travel, the pair reached a small village north of Kyoto. The entire area was burning, and many dead lay scattered about and unburied. 'It is demon work,' Kaosu told Masamune as he surveyed the scene that appeared much like that of Elberssëa. As they walked among the massacre, Kaosu came upon a man that remained alive. 'The . . . demon lord . . . Gothmorg . . . has a message,' the man sputtered. 'His master . . . Talpa . . . bids the insolent monk . . . to give him his armor . . . or he will take it and . . . he already has a . . .' Then, the man stopped breathing, and the pair never heard the end of his message. Kaosu was troubled, for he perceived a kanji had been lost to him, and his heart told him Talpa had taken the armor to his side. That night, the pair camped south of the village. As they slept, Kaosu dreamt of the heavens opening up, and a great, bitter wind blew from the North, but a star gleamed close to them in the south. But upon the earth, all withered for no spring came. Kaosu woke to know part of the armor was lost._

(N'deki)

I'm upset.

Not just because Kayura is upset, either.

I try to picture the dream.

All I can see is everything dead.

_"On waking, Kaosu was puzzled, yet, he felt the staff's callings to be torn. Now, he felt a kanji close in the south, but another farther away in the north. He consulted Botenmaru, who replied they head to where the nearest kanji lay, so the pair rode south. As they passed through towns, Kaosu asked the people they came upon about the ruined village. There were many names mentioned of warriors from this village, but closest to the village people told of Koma Toshitada, who had gained power among his tribe. From this, Kaosu began to venture a guess at the identity of the man that the demon had taken._

"_They rode past Kyoto, and found themselves in Osaka after several days riding. Kaosu was able to hide the pair from obvious attention, and only those with powers of perception were able to discern that the wooden walking stick that Kaosu appeared to carry glittered. None were able to fully recognize the pair as they rode around the city. 'How shall we find the kanji if we are in disguise?' Botenmaru asked Kaosu, who replied, 'The one with the kanji may yet recognize us. We shall ride around as beggars on worn donkeys and see who will offer shelter without us asking. They may indeed see the staff.'_

(Nakeisha)

It's a clever idea.

I know how it feels to wander around and be lost without any information.

I wish I had actually met this Ancient One.

I wish he were with us now.

_"They rode for two days throughout the city. Some fed them, but none offered them shelter, and none seemed to perceive the glorious staff of the Lady that shimmered golden only to Kaosu and Botenmaru. During their third night in the city, they rode by a castle, and when they passed, a cry was heard from one of the upper windows. 'The light!' the man cried again from the upper window. 'A golden light in the dark!'_

_"Kaosu and Botenmaru paused, and soon, a man came to meet them in the street. The enchantment seemed cast off the pair, and the man told them he had been unable to sleep for several nights, and he wondered if that light had been shining in his mind to keep him awake. Kaosu noted that the man had two thumbs on his right hand, but the pair followed him when the man bade them to enter his castle. 'You must tell me what great lord you are,' the man insisted of Kaosu. 'Surely, with such a treasure, you are the greatest of lords in the north.' 'No, I am only called Kaosu, and I own no kingdom or domain,' Kaosu told the man, and he seemed slightly troubled by this. 'Then, where did you come upon such a treasure?' he asked, and Kaosu told him, 'It was my birthright when I was named Kaosu. You, sir, have stabled our horses, yet, you tell us no name either.' 'You may call me Hashiba Hideyoshi,' the man replied, but Kaosu did not recognize the name, but Botenmaru told Kaosu, once Hideyoshi left the pair's presence, that he was a powerful man and had received the title of gondainagon. Botenmaru told Kaosu that they must guard themselves in his presence, and Kaosu began to meditate on a way to find the kanji that he supposed the man must have._

(Seiji)

This history is old and new.

The names all know.

But the Ancient speaks to us.

What would he tell us?

_"Kaosu was treated with the utmost respect, and Botenmaru, although not treated poorly, was largely ignored for all could now view Kaosu's great staff since the enchantment had been lifted. However, Kaosu began to perceive that the shadow had shifted north, and he feared their time was running short. During their second night in Hideyoshi's castle, Kaosu went to see the man while he sat awake at the very window where he first spied them. 'I cannot sleep, yet, it is no wonder,' Hideyoshi said to Kaosu when he perceived him in the room. 'You claim to be _

_without title or land, yet you are the greatest Lord I have viewed. Why not ally yourself with me?'_

_"No, I believe I need you,' Kaosu told Hideyoshi. Then, I, Kaosu, had another moment of insight. 'Reach for the brightest star, Hashiba Hideyoshi, and you may find the strength that you seek. If you do, you shall ally yourself to me for a time, and we will travel at dawn!' At these words, Hideyoshi became alarmed, but he looked out of his window to indeed see a bright star that he had not noticed before. He extended his hands outside his window, and the star fell from the sky and into his palms. When he turned back to Kaosu, the virtue 'chi' blazed upon his forehead, and Hideyoshi replied, 'I see that I have this star, but tell me where the power is in it?' Then, Kaosu commanded him to call up 'chi,' and when he did Hideyoshi was cloaked in armor with all the majesty of the night sky. 'I see I am your vassal for a time, Kaosu, because all you said proved true,' Hideyoshi conceded. Then, he disrobed from his armor, and the pair went and woke Botenmaru. Then, the slipped away secretly as the sun rose above Osaka. They turned north and rode with great haste."_

(Rowen)

Why did the Ancient tell us none of this?

Was his time too short?

Didn't it matter?

Did he assume we'd read this?

_"The sun did not rise, but was obscured by many clouds. As the trio proceeded north, a great wind came upon them. The golden staff lit up like the sun and jingled, and a great dread filled Kaosu. He called for Botenmaru and Hideyoshi to call their virtues so that they may wear their armor. As they rode on, the horses became frightened, and Hideyoshi let his horse go. Botenmaru urged his stallion forward, but Kaosu also dismounted. Then, a great barrage of arrows assailed the trio, and many soldiers that radiated a foul energy were seen up ahead._

_"Kaosu then thrust his staff into the ground, and a light surrounded the trio, and the soldiers drew back. 'Fool,' a voice boomed from among the devilish ambush, 'Your walking stick has no power over Daecurth, demon of the Netherworld.' Then, the evil soldiers rushed upon the trio, and Botenmaru remembered the words spoken by Kaosu: 'It was gifted unto you, and its power is yours to know.' Botenmaru then summoned forth a no-dachi that shown with the intensity of a bolt of lightning. He thrust his blade, and it appeared a bolt of lightning cut his enemies in half, but the demon Daecurth put a barrier between them, and the trio was driven south._

(Zera)

An ambush.

So familiar.

It was out of their power to help the other bearer.

One was lost.

I was lost.

_"In despair, Kaosu felt that he had been barred from the other kanji by the demon Talpa, and now, he knew Talpa had vassals under his control. 'Who is allied with this Daecurth?' Hideyoshi asked Kaosu. 'The demon Talpa may be his master, and the demon Gothmorg is another servant of Talpa, although I have not seen him.' 'Who is this demon?' Hideyoshi asked. 'I could not find a way to fight his soldiers, yet Botenmaru did. How?' 'Talpa,' Kaosu told Hideyoshi, 'is an ancient demon, and he is searching for the armor that you found in the star that held 'chi.' I confess I do not know yet how to use its power, but you must find that for yourself.'_

_"That night, Hideyoshi traveled under the stars, and he dreamt while he walked. He returned after dawn and told Kaosu, 'I saw a hill, full and green, where people sang in the spring of the land. A woman sat under bright stars and told me a tale of woe and victory woven into one. She sang a song of lands that died and people that were no more. She sang of new eras yet to be born and new people that had yet to make their mark upon this earth. She told me I would fly among the stars in of the sky. The stars fell from the sky, and she gave me a golden arrow, and I have it now.' Hideyoshi handed a single golden arrow to Kaosu, who told him to keep it, but Hideyoshi lamented he had no bow to shoot with, for he felt that this arrow would be straight and true enough to pierce even the flesh of a mighty demon._

(Rowen)

A single arrow.

Had the others arrows come from it?

Was it, too, a gift from the gods?

_"Clouds gathered, and then, a great rain fell, and the scent of the sea reached Kaosu's nostrils from the south. As Kaosu sat there, he perceived the sun rising in the east, even though it was raining. The light stained the land in crimson. 'A sign,' Kaosu thought, even as his heart grieved to know their way to the north was blocked. 'We'll travel to the sea,' Kaosu told Botenmaru and Hideyoshi. The trio continued south to the sea, and their passage was not blocked or hindered. Hideyoshi led them to the castle of Takamatsu, which he had assailed previously. As they reached the castle, many people gawked at their array, for Kaosu had not bothered to enchant their appearances, and Hideyoshi and Botenmaru still wore their armors, and Botenmaru had his no-dachi draped over his shoulder._

_"Call upon the Lord of the castle!' many cried as the trio rode up, and Hideyoshi led them into the castle. Kaosu spied a man followed by many servants come to meet them. 'Lord Hashiba Hideyoshi,' the man said as he bowed, 'I had not expected for you to come so soon, or I would have prepared a proper welcome.' 'You should welcome him,' Botenmaru said as he gestured towards Kaosu. Then, the man took notice of Kaosu's staff and was amazed. 'It is like _

_the light on the water when the sun rises and sets!' he exclaimed. He bowed and said, 'I am Mouri Termoto, and you are most welcome indeed!'_

_"Kaosu spent the night at Takamatsu, but he was troubled with visions. Destruction plagued his mind, and he saw the burning of cities by a great demon, and the laughter of Talpa haunted his sleep. Kaosu became afraid, for he knew then that Talpa had gathered the second of his two kanji and was already searching for the others. Then, Kaosu knew that they must leave and head towards the Sea and follow the staff, for he knew time was running short, and Talpa had perceived his plans better than he anticipated. 'We must have a ship,' Kaosu demanded of Terumoto. 'I fear time is running short.' Terumoto obliged and accompanied the trio to the sea himself, and he offered them his swiftest ships. 'I shall come with you,' Terumoto told Kaosu, 'for the sea is calling me, and it would be ignorant to not oblige such a longing.'_

(Cye)

Is the Ancient dumb?

Can't he see that my family has a part in this?

Maybe Terumoto seemed unimportant next to the other lords.

Maybe the Ancient thought someone better would have the kanji.

_"Terumoto accompanied the two warriors and Kaosu upon the water, and they sailed swiftly south, for Kaosu felt that if they kept the land on their east, they may yet find the other kanji, for Kaosu felt it dwelt in the west. They met with little trouble, and Terumoto's ship proved to be as swift as he promised, but as they traveled, Kaosu dreamt again, but of treachery from one that was close to them. After several days out of port, the sun, and Kaosu told Terumoto to dock the ship at the next harbor. As they went to dock, a terrible squall came upon them, and dark clouds swirled around the horizon. Then, a great tempest came and threw their ship about, and Kaosu saw a great warship manned by devil soldiers coming towards them. It seemed unaffected by the storm that raged around them, and Terumoto told the crew to prepare for a battle, for the ship seemed ready to rage war with them._

"_Hideyoshi and Botenmaru donned their armors, and Kaosu went to the deck to see the approaching warship. A demon creature with hair that writhed like snakes and skin the color of the cold, stormy ocean rode on the stern of the ship, and hissed orders in a demon tongue to the crew of devil soldiers and other foul creatures with tentacles, fangs, and claws. Botenmaru approached Kaosu with his no-dachi, while Hideyoshi stayed with Terumoto to prepare the sailors, but many ran from fear of the great horde upon the warship, and when the ship came close enough, the battle became fierce, and the devil soldiers easily boarded Terumoto's ship_.

(Rowen)

It's an easy attack.

I see the demon funeral barges.

Only this time they're filled with creatures

No wonder so many ran.

"_Kaosu and Botenmaru fought at the front of the ship, and Botenmaru split the sky with bolts of lightning from his sword. However, during the battle, Terumoto was thrown from the ship into the sea by one of the devil creatures. Kaosu then bid the sailors to pull him from the water, and as they struggled with Terumoto, who was an excellent swimmer, Hideyoshi spied the demon creature that led the demon warship. He fingered the golden arrow, and in his hand then appeared a golden hankyu, in which he cocked the arrow. He let fly the arrow, and it sped straight and true in the midst of the tempest and struck the forehead of the sea demon on the warship. When the monster fell into the sea, there was confusion aboard the warship. Botenmaru and Kaosu pressed the advantage, and many of the sailors took heart and began to board the other ship. At that time, Terumoto was pulled from the sea, and Kaosu went to him, only to see that he gripped something tightly in his palm. Upon opening his hand, Kaosu saw another of the kanji pearls. 'I did not want to lose it, for it was so beautiful,' Terumoto explained, and Kaosu saw the sign of 'shin' on his forehead, and was greatly relieved._

"_The battle ended when the warship was sunk, and Terumoto's battered ship continued to shore. As they reached the land, they saw that another demon ship had arrived and burned most of the port. Then, Kaosu begged Terumoto to call upon his virtue, and he was cloaked in armor the color of the clearest seas. They began to battle, but Terumoto was weak, and Kaosu knew they sought another kanji pearl. At this time, Kaosu beheld the devil magician, Badamon, robed as a priest, but he perceived his ways to be perverted._

(Kayura)

Badamon.

May a curse be forever upon him.

My heart grieves to know they do not destroy him then.

_"Botenmaru remained by Kaosu's side while Hideyoshi and Terumoto fought the devil soldiers further down by the sea and the docked warship. When Badamon spied Kaosu, he sent a horde of Ankoku spirits to assault Kaosu and the warriors and act as a barrier between Badamon and his schemes. When the spirits came, Botenmaru fell to the ground in a swoon and was overpowered. I, Kaosu, saw that the Lady's staff did indeed protect me from the power of these spirits, but their magic was great, and it was the first time I had seen such forces. As Kaosu began to banish the spirits, a great wave shook the boat, and Badamon entered onto Terumoto's own ship. Escaping Kaosu, he sought out a group of Terumoto's own soldiers. When he reached them, Kaosu saw Badamon select a man from among them, and at that moment, a deep spell descended upon the ship and the sea. _

_"Although, I, Kaosu, tried to reach this man, the spirits and the number of demon soldiers hampered my progress. Kaosu felt the need to protect the other three weak warriors. Then, a gate rose from the sea, and in a cloud of blackness, Badamon entered into the gate with one of Terumot's own soldiers. With this, the greatest darkness and influence of Badamon's _

_spell ended. Kaosu threw the staff after him, but the gate had already closed. When the staff hit it, the gate shattered it so that it could be used no more. Immediately, the spirits lost their power and were quailed._

_"As the battle ended, Botenmaru recovered his strength, and he and Kaosu easily made their way back towards the shore. They came upon Terumoto bearing a large yari in his one hand, while supporting Hideyoshi with the other. 'The demons are gone,' Terumoto told Kaosu, 'but we were almost lost, too. A sea demon drug Hideyoshi under the water, and when I tried to fend it off, it took me, too. As it sought to drown me, I was gifted a mighty weapon, and I did not drown, but instead, I drown it.' Kaosu, although pleased to hear this, was grieved because he knew another of the kanji had been lost, and he perceived Badamon had been deceiving those to whom the kanji were gifted."_

(Nilla)

The Ancient found his traitor.

Why had he never looked for anyone on the ship?

They were west of Japan.

Were the tricks Badamon used so different from those used on us?

_"Kaosu and the other three walked north to get shelter. There, they spent the night, and Kaosu let the others rest while he meditated. For now, he knew, there were three kanji pearls left, and I, Kaosu, understood that Talpa had already perceived whom some of the warriors would be better than I had done. As Kaosu meditated, he saw no pattern to Talpa's logic, and he received no sign of the warriors that would bear the remaining kanjis. The four traveled north, deciding to head towards the capital of Kyoto, and Kaosu sought desperately for a sign as he pondered upon the demons that Talpa had sent to assail them._

_"'He may fear our interference,' Kaosu told the three warriors when they entered the city. 'We shall go in disguise again, and maybe we shall find a quiet place to lodge so that Talpa cannot find us while I seek to understand his plans.' Kaosu and the warriors took up a temporary lodging with Tushihokana Fushika, and although she was kind to them, Kaosu suspected that she led a dubious life. Indeed, this was confirmed by Hideyoshi, who saw her leave her dwelling with her obi tied in the front. For the time, though, Kaosu begged the other three to remain patient because they were under an enchantment, and he needed time to ponder._

(Lily)

A 'dubious life?'

What he means is that she's a whore.

They all think she's a whore.

She wears her obi like a prostitute would.

They think they're too 'good' for her.

_"While Kaosu meditated one night, he heard a loud noise. He quickly went towards it when he heard a child screaming. When Kaosu reached the open yard, he saw a man holding Hideyoshi by the neck, and Botenmaru and Terumoto appeared ready to attack him. In the corner of the yard, Kaosu saw Fushika holding a small girl. 'What is this?' Kaosu exclaimed, and the staff jingled, and the enchantment was lifted. Still, the man held Hideyoshi tightly by the neck, and Kaosu saw he had a kunai in his hand. 'Explain what injustice has been wrought!' Kaosu demanded, and the man who held Hideyoshi answered._

_"'Your men were careless, and I spied them sparing, but took no heed to it. My niece was playing on the edge of the grass, but he was careless and struck her. You see, he cut off her foot, and even when she wailed, he said it was not his fault. He is insolent, and I care not who he is. I will kill him now if he cannot give her back her foot!' Kaosu sighed and walked over to the screaming little girl. The staff jingled and illuminated the ground, and I, Kaosu picked up the girl's severed foot, and with a great amount of strength and aid from the Lady's staff, mended it back onto her body. She had lost a lot of blood, and when the pain subsided, she fainted into Fushika's arms. 'You have had your price paid, so you will now let him go,' Kaosu told the man. He released Hideyoshi from his grip, and Kaosu bid them all to stand down._

_"'What is your name?' Kaosu asked the man with the kunai. Before answering, he went over and studied the girl. When he saw no flaw with her, he bowed and said, 'I am Sanada Yukimura, and you are a great lord to perform such healing! I would ask for your name, sir, so that I may give my services to you when needed.' Kaosu replied, 'I am called Kaosu, and am lord of no land or kingdom, but I am in need of talented warriors. In my company are Date Botenmaru, Hashiba Hideyoshi, and Mouri Terumoto.' Kaosu perceived Yukimura had skill, for he had attacked Hideyoshi wearing his armor, but Yukimura was unable to see this at the time._

_"We will not take him, for he is treacherous,' Botenmaru replied. 'He is an assassin who beds a prostitute.' Kaosu perceived this was true, and he knew that the anger of the three warriors was now upon Yukimura, but Kaosu replied, 'We will take help when offered, for I am unable to receive any sign for where to seek. When we go, I beg you to come with us, Yukimura, for we shall need aid. A shadow grows in my mind.'_

(Ryo)

So, it was called treachery.

And the armor remained silent.

Why?

Is it betrayal?

Can the Ancient not see?

_"Kaosu went to meditate again, but he perceived nothing and went to sleep. During a dream, he flew south through the air, and all the ground below him appeared as a map, and he was taken to a city filled with people. He saw a man with white hair standing atop a lonely hill outside the city, and the grass turned to sand at his feet until the air swirled with sand. Then, he perceived, across the ocean below their land, a man pulling a glittering topaz from the earth. Instantly, Kaosu woke and summoned the warriors. 'We go north, and we shall need a ship in time. We may not yet be too late!'_

_"'You, Junai, will stay with Fushika,' Yukimura told his young niece. 'When will you return?' the girl, Junai, asked. 'The future does not say,' Yukimura replied, and they bid Fushika farewell. Hideyoshi was able to procure them horses, and they rode south, guided by the staff of the Lady. During the second day of their travels, the staff never stopped ringing, and Kaosu sensed they were close. However, as they approached the hill Kaosu had seen in his dream, a swarm of demons surrounded them and descended upon them. Upon the hill stood Badamon, wreathed in a dark cloud and Ankoku spirits, and as Kaosu went to penetrate the magic, a great fire erupted from the earth. From the fissures of the earth rose a dark shadow with a four-pronged crown made with blackened steel. The rest of his armor was made of the same blackened steel, yet his face and eyes blazed with the fury of the underworld. The demon also bore in his hands a pair of katanas, and they, too, were made of the same blackened steel._

(Nakeisha)

And now a demon.

It's a trap.

I see my own trap again.

The other bearer is lost.

_"'Foolish mortals!' he exclaimed, and Kaosu saw that the four warriors felt great fear at the sight of the mighty demon. 'I see, now, you are the monk that seeks what belongs to my master!' Kaosu shouted, 'Speak your name, foul abomination!' The demon laughed, and his voice was the sound of cold steel. 'I am Gothmorg, the great demon of Lord Talpa!' With this, Gothmorg struck the ground with his katanas, and the land burst into flame. Yukimura and Kaosu were then separated from the other three warriors by the flames, but Kaosu heard Gothmorg laugh again, and he perceived that the demon meant harm to the warriors._

_"'Help me!' Yukimura exclaimed to Kaosu. 'I shall go in after them if you can halt the demon!' Kaosu looked at the man and said, 'You will burn.' Yukimura replied, 'Do what you must, and I will do what I must!' Kaosu then threw the staff at Gothmorg, and he heard it collide with the demon and pause his advance. When Gothmorg was distracted, Yukimura darted into the fire. Kaosu bowed his head, sure the man would die, but then, the flames rose in the air in a column, and they parted. In the center of the great ringed column of fire stood Yukimura with the other three warriors. He blazed like the very fire of Gothmorg, and Kaosu perceived the sign of 'jin' on his forehead. Yukimura led the other three through the flames, and Kaosu called back his staff. Then, as quickly as the attack came, it was finished, and the land was in ruins._

_"'He has taken another kanji bearer!' Kaosu exclaimed when he saw that the hilltop was now bare. 'There is one left, and we must make haste! He will seek to find five of the nine, and then, he will undo all that is good! We must go to the sea! Our destination lays over the north most Sea of Japan.' As they rode to a port, Kaosu took heart that Talpa had not found the kanji of 'jin,' yet, he realized he was not able to foresee where the bearer would be, either. This nature of the 'jin' kanji puzzled Kaosu, but he accepted that, although outside his foresight, Talpa had not retrieved the kanji_.

(Ryo)

Virtue.

It undid Talpa.

But the Ancient could not see it.

The Ancient didn't control the armors as much as I thought.

Then what does?

_"They sailed north, but Kaosu was able to conjure up a wind that moved them with more speed than the fastest vessel on the sea. One night, in a dream while upon the sea, Kaosu saw clouds obscuring the earth. A dark voice, none other than that of the demon Talpa, told him, 'I have taken captive the loyalty of men's hearts. They shall honor me above all else, and they will obey my every command. They shall endure as my servants even after you are ended. I will take the earth in my hands and destroy it, and my justice will prevail.' This disturbed Kaosu, and he awoke and told the dream to the other four warriors. 'I see now what he has done. I have bestowed unto the nine pearls nine kanji of virtue, but he will warp any he may touch. We must hurry, for I foresee that we must fight for this last bearer or all is lost. Indeed, he has hidden the other four from any sight of mine!'_

"_In several days, with the help of Kaosu's strength, they reached land, and the five departed further inland. They had taken the horses aboard the boat with them, and when they reached land, these animals bore them swiftly away. Kaosu rode upon a white stallion, which was easy to follow during the night as they rode inland. After a night of riding, the staff began to jingle and come alive, and Kaosu knew they were close. As they approached a ridge and looked over into the valley, Kaosu perceived that it was burning and infested with demons._

"_Kaosu led the four down into the valley, and as they rode, they destroyed all the devil soldiers that lay in their path. Kaosu raised the staff and banished the Ankoku that tried to stop them. When they came to a wall of fire surrounding the village, Yukimura charged forth into the flame first, and when he appeared on the other side, he held two flaming katanas. Then, Kaosu led the other three through, and the warriors began to destroy the demon army, but Kaosu saw the dark cloud of Badamon, once again, further down in the valley. 'Come! We must ride together to confront the real danger!'_

(Kento)

So, this was it.

They had come looking for my armor.

Why had it been the hardest to find?

Was it because it was in a different land?

I don't know.

They just need to find it.

"_Kaosu led his warriors through the great maze of demons, and I, Kaosu saw only one purpose. As Kaosu rode, though, the four warriors staved off the attacks of many devilish soldiers and creatures. Then, Kaosu broke through Badamon's final shields, and arrived in his think cloud of deceit where he stood facing a man. Behind him, kneeling on the ground, clutching her chest, was a woman. Badamon, his voice laced with spells, declared, 'Take it! It is yours! She stole it from you, tricked it from your very hands to adore her own neck! She is a treacherous wife! A viper!' Then Kaosu shouted, 'You evil spirit, be gone!' He struck the staff into the ground, and the trance over the man was broken. The woman shrieked in pain as Badamon unleashed his wrath on her. However, the staff began to chime, and its power began to overwhelm that of the devil priest, and Hideyoshi aimed an arrow, which pierced Badamon's arm and weakened the strength of his spell._

"'_What has happened?' the man asked, but only Kaosu understood him by virtue of his abilities with the staff, for he spoke another language. 'Do not listen to that demon!' Kaosu told the man. 'Where is the pearl bearing the symbol you dug from the ground?' The man replied, 'I set it in a necklace that I gave to my wife.' Then Kaosu understood Badamon's tricks and asked the man, 'Would you take it from her by force?' The man replied, 'No, it is a gift, but my mind is dark, and I fear I may have already tried!'_

"_You have not! You are clean! Be gone!' Kaosu hurtled the staff at Badamon, and the devil priest disappeared along with the demon armies. Kaosu then turned towards the man. The virtue of 'gi' blazed up the man's forehead, and Kaosu turned to the woman and bid her to rise. She found the strength to do so, and when she did, Kaosu saw a necklace bearing the last kanji around her neck. 'Woman, who has endured the wrath of a treacherous devil, will you now freely give your husband what has been gifted to him? Although, out of love, he gave it to you, and no doubt, you have saved him, it now needs to be in his hands. For, in his hands, the virtue of 'gi' may be able to help us vanquish these evil demons!'_

(Kento)

I was told my armor was the most evil.

It's a lie.

But was this how close it became to being true?

"_The woman slowly walked over to her bewildered husband. She stretched the necklace out towards him, and when he touched the jewel, it left the necklace without even damaging it. Then, the virtue of 'gi' overcame the man and he was cloaked in an armor as strong as the metals of the earth and the color of the bare mountain rock. 'The demon has not won,' Kaosu declared in relief. The seven then went back to the house of the man, which had been damaged in the fight. Then, the woman said, 'I am Da-xia Rei Fuan, and this is my husband, Li Rei Fuan. You are most welcome here, although much of what we have has been lost.'_

"_Let me speak to your husband,' Kaosu told Da-xia, who went to attend her daughter, Li-ming, and her son, Liang. Summoning the strength he had, Kaosu loosened the ears and tongue of Li. 'It would be hindering if you could not understand your companions,' Kaosu told Li. 'I have loosened your tongue and mouth so that the six of us may converse.' Then, Kaosu gathered to him the five armor bearers and told them, 'Luck has held until now. The demon will return, but I know not when. We have been strangely fortunate. Today, I will ask the five of you to take an oath to honor your virtues, to hold true until the defeat of the foul demon, Talpa, and to keep faith with each other while I remain among you and our purpose is united.' For Kaosu knew that they were men, and after their common purpose was over, they had their own ambitions and lives to fulfill._

(Ryo)

There is a pause by Mia.

What's next?

I want to hear it.

I need to hear it.

It's our oath.

"_Terumoto was the first to reply, and he said, 'I will take this oath willingly! Let it be known that I will never turn my back on my companions. Even if sad deception shall break all things apart, I will offer each refuge and aid.'_

"_Then, Botenmaru spoke. 'To this oath I will hold. I, for my part, will never let it break. I will do my best to discern what evil shall come our way, and let it be known that I will treat each with proper respect.'_

"_Li then spoke for the first time to them all. 'It was truly you who saved me from darkness and evil. Now, I see that I surely would have been taken in by lies if not for you. I will take this oath and hold it. My entire clan is forever in your debt! I shall repay my life debt, and if I am unable to, then all my clan will take care to honor all of you! It is only just.'_

"_Hideyoshi replied, 'Let it never be said that I will not honor this oath, either! I shall forget the offenses done to me, and now, let it be said that Hashiba Hideyoshi stands as an equal to all that bear these armors.'_

"_They waited, and, lastly, Yukimura spoke. 'It is beyond me to offer anything more than this oath. I will hold true to it. I will hold to all my fellow armor bearers until my very end. Let it never be said that I did not do all that I could to offer aid. Let it never be said that I did not _

_come with all my strength when I was asked by one who bore an armor. Something has come to pass, and although I had no say in the power that was given unto me, I will use it to whatever end.'_

(Ryo)

The breathing echoed throughout the room.

No one met each other's gazes.

Each seemed to hold their breath in the silence, and, until Mia continued, tension flowed in the room.

"_The time came that the six rode south before taking a boat back towards Japan. I, Kaosu, felt darkness gathering in my mind whenever I looked towards the islands, and my heart was clenched in a sudden fear. In the fire, my mind remembered Gothmorg and the fierceness of the demon, Talpa, when he slayed Hariel. They went with haste and arrived at port within days. As they landed, a contingent of priestesses met them at the docks. With them came Lady Shina, who said, 'I have come in haste! They are in the south! They search for you, now, good lords, and may attack this village this very night! Beware the one that blazes with the fires of the underworld!' Kaosu's heart became troubled for he knew she spoke of Gothmorg. However, he did not speak his fears while they took a meal and some rest._

"_As Kaosu wondered in the night, he perceived Li, who paced across the grounds where they stayed. 'What ails your mind?' Kaosu asked. Li responded, a grave look in his eyes, 'My heart fears them, sir, and I alone know how close I was to falling into his hands. I did not know myself.' Kaosu saw the guilt that stained Li's conscious and said, 'Be strong and rest! You will be just and deal a blow to your accusers and tempters when the time comes. Be patient and the day shall come. You will not fall.' With those words, Li retired to sleep, but Kaosu remained awake, for a great malevolence seemed to weigh upon him like the air._

(Zera)

He was close.

Maybe I was closer.

I can feel the weight of evil.

It's in the air now.

"_The day did not come with the sunrise. A dark, foreboding cloud hung across the land. Kaosu roused the warriors and told them, 'We prepare for battle today. Take time to meditate and ready yourselves.' Kaosu then told Lady Shina, 'I will send you on a boat to another shore. You may stay with Da-xia Rei Fuan, for she will keep you safe.' Lady Shina consented and was sent away that very hour. As the day drew on, the watchmen gave a shout. The land shook, and _

_a gate rose from the earth. A demon contingent issued forth to storm where they waited. Then, in full armor, I, Kaosu summoned the five to battle._

"_As they waited, Terumoto, Hideyoshi, Yukimura, and Botenmaru drew their weapons, but Li had none. As the army advanced, Kaosu recognized Daecurth leading them, but he saw that several other powerful demons followed as captains. Then, Kaosu declared, 'Go! Halt them before they reach this village!'_

"_Botenmaru and Terumoto advanced upon the field of battle. Behind them, Hideyoshi cocked an arrow in his bow. Kaosu then perceived one of the demon captains come to Botenmaru. He engaged the warrior, and I, Kaosu, almost went to his aid, but the Ankoku spirits descended. Kaosu used the staff to ward them off, but Botenmaru and Terumoto were becoming overwhelmed. Then, Yukimura and Li charged into the battle. As they ran, Li charged first, and his very fists seemed like iron. As he gained momentum, the earth formed a solid weapon in Li's hands. They reached the stranded warriors, and there, Daecurth came to meet them. As he approached, he declared, 'Sons of the wretched monk! Wither before me!'_

"'_You will be crushed!' Li declared as he struck a blow upon Daecurth. As he did so, the demon was smote into pieces, but his captains kept advancing. Hideyoshi then charged into the melee, but he was alone and was over taken by a demon creature with four heads. He slew one head, but was succumbing to its strength. At that moment, Yukimura sensed his plight and came to his aid."_

(Kento)

The fight is awesome!

I can see the destruction.

I've been there.

What a thrill!

"_Kaosu soon banished the spirits, and the battle ended. Then, the gate closed, and Kaosu, unable to open it, called his warriors back to the village. 'We will wait, but we may be able to go through,' Kaosu confided in them. He hoped to assail the demon's stronghold on the other side, although he had no knowledge of what it might be like. The night waned, but the next two days dawned without the sun. The gate buzzed with dark energy, and Kaosu knew the invasion would soon follow._

"_As the third day dawned, the gate opened again. From it issued a great force of Ankoku priests let by Badamon. Many of the demon captains issued forth, but Badamon stayed safely behind them and by the gate to direct their attacks. 'Go! I will cut down the priest!' Kaosu declared as he fought the spirits with the Lady's staff. The five drew their weapons and went into battle, and, as they did so, they met with many foul demons. I, Kaosu, concentrated on the demon Badamon, and fought my way towards the gate. When Kaosu reached it, he called upon a great amount of power, but Badamon slid back into the gate. At that time, from the gate, issued a billowing cloud of flames. Protected by the staff, Kaosu withdrew to a safer distance._

"'_Mortals!' Gothmorg exclaimed as he charged forth. He struck a mighty blow upon Terumoto, and the Ankoku spirits got a resurgence of power. They spread confusion across the _

_field, and soon, Hideyoshi turned, and in folly, attacked Botenmaru. Li, also confused, became injured and weak as he fought the mightiest of the demon captains. I, Kaosu, began to despair as I tried to recover my strength to challenge Gothmorg. Then, without warning, Yukimura charged towards the gate and drew his katanas._

(Rowen)

The rashness!

I'd seen it before.

Ryo kept fighting.

Charging without a plan.

This couldn't end well.

"'_Come! Deal with me! I will eat your fire and spit it in your face!' Yukimura declared. Gothmorg laughed, and all but Yukimura quailed. Then, the demon struck him with his swords, but Yukimura parried the blow. Gothmorg struck a second time, and Yukimura withheld again. Gothmorg placed much of his effort into the third blow, and Yukimura almost bent under it. With a mighty effort, Yukimura turned Gothmorg's power upon him and cracked his great, steel armor. Two of the mighty spikes on his crown fell to the ground. In Gothmorg's moment of surprise, Yukimura attacked with a fiery rage not seen since the time of Hariel. He cleaved Gothmorg's helmet in half, and then, he cleaved his skull in two. His cut extended unto his mid chest, but by then, the demon's great fire had withered and died. With the death of their captain, the other demons fled. The gate was then closed again."_

"_As I came near Yukimura, I saw a great fire still blazing in his eyes, but as he turned to me, the furry subsided. 'He is vanquished, but I cannot move from this spot,' and with those words, Yukimura fell upon the field of battle in exhaustion. Because all were so weak, Kaosu got everyone back to the village. The villagers cheered as Yukimura was born, unconscious, through the city so he could rest, for Kaosu and his warriors had saved the village again._

(Ryo)

I remember falling the first time Talpa fell.

The world dissolved.

My body had failed.

Kikoutei drained my power.

But the job was done.

"_As Kaosu checked on each one, he became aware that Botenmaru felt embittered by Hideyoshi's attack. 'He was foolish! He should have perceived such a deceit!' Botenmaru cursed. Kaosu told him, 'Do not be too harsh. I will need you both before the end.' Botenmaru then replied, 'He wronged me. I am wounded, and I shall do him no great favor if we are to resume our lives.' Kaosu was troubled by these words, but he let the issue rest, for he needed to tend to the others. Li was gravely hurt, but his injuries were being given much attention. The next day, the dawn did not come again. That day passed, and the next day, a foul miasma issued from the gate._

"_As night would have come, the earth shook, and a horde of demon soldiers and Ankoku priests issued forth under the foul clouds. Kaosu aroused the warriors, and I, Kaosu, to slay the demon priest. Before the battle, Terumoto declared, 'Let us not fight alone! It was almost all our downfalls last time!' Kaosu told them, 'That is good, but I shall go and deal with the foul Badamon alone, for he has deceived and destroyed.' In my heart, I, Kaosu, perceived that Badamon's evil was great, terrible, and beyond words._

"_I, Kaosu, fought my way to the gate. This time, there was no great demon to aid Badamon as Kaosu challenged him. 'You deceitful and foul creature! You have stolen from this world!' Badamon only chuckled, but I, Kaosu, summoned all the strength of the Lady's staff. It shined like the sun in Kaosu's hands, and he thrust it at Badamon. However, the demon was able to counter much of the attack, but Kaosu disarmed him of much of his splendor, glory, and robed away his fair voice of deception. In a weakened and horrid state, Badamon retreated into the gate. His spirits then formed great shape of spiraling, stringy tendons, but the monstrous creature was unable to be anything but strange muscle and sinew; it had no skin or bone. As it walked, dark energy shot around and from it._

(Nakeisha)

Another trick.

We didn't see this one.

How many things will our foes do to us?

I've seen very few.

And I harden myself against what may come.

"_I, Kaosu, was too weak to move, but Botenmaru and Li pulled me away from the gate. I fell down, truly unable to do anything. Then, Yukimura stood before the creature with Hideyoshi and Terumoto. They attacked the great creature, but to no avail. Li and Botenmaru continued to destroy the demons, but soon, they realized that the others needed their aid for the power of the creature seemed that of the very spirit of darkness._

"_The field of battle grew dark with the horrible energy projected from the creature. In the midst of the battle, Yukimura shouted, 'Come to me! Gather here! Let us fight!' Then, the four stood beside him as the great creature approached. They all began to swoon, and even when they attacked together, there was little effect upon the creature, but they became weary. 'We need a single attack! Kaosu, help us!' Botenmaru shouted._

"_Struck by the memory of Hariel, I cried, 'Lend your armors to one!' Li then offered, 'Let 'gi' be offered to Yukimura!' With that, he gave Yukimura all his strength, and Terumoto and Hideyoshi followed his example. Lastly, Botenmaru gave Yukimura his powers and said, 'End this!' Yukimura glowed like metal being shaped in the hottest furnace, and his armor appeared so hot that it burned white now. With his katana now burning so brightly as to illuminate the field of battle, he approached the horrible creature. With one fell swing, he attacked the beast, but the great monstrosity wrapped him in its power. They both glowed, but in a burst of flame, the creature was no more._

"_As Yukimura stood on the battle field, a great wave of darkness, with a vague shape of a head, issued from the gate. Kaosu's heart recognized the presence of Talpa's spirit, but he could do nothing as the evil entity hurtled for the now weakened Yukimura. Without hesitation, though, Li leapt forward to block the blow of the evil spirit. A great sound, like the grating of metal across metal, was heard, and Yukimura managed to turn the evil entity of Talpa's spirit back into the gate. A great silence passed across the field as the gates closed again._

(Kayura)

It must have been the Kikoutei.

The white armor.

But it was barely managed.

And the Ancient.

So weak.

"_I, Kaosu, staggered upon the field, but Hideyoshi, Botenmaru, and Terumoto reached the pair first. Yukimura only wore his own armor now, but Li now wore nothing, and the pearl hovered over his body. 'He is dead,' Kaosu declared, and he saw that the demon's spirit tore through his very body, even while he bore his armor. Then, Kaosu took the pearl and went to tend Yukimura, who lay unconscious and very injured by Talpa's attack. Before Kaosu left the field of battle, he gathered the strength to smite the gate. It shattered and was no more. Then, the darkness lifted, and light came upon the gory field. Li and Yukimura were both born back to the village with honor."_

"_For many days the warriors, the villagers, and Kaosu waited. Li's body was preserved so he could be given a proper ceremony in his homeland. Kaosu kept his kanji pearl and pondered upon it while Botenmaru, Terumoto, and Hideyoshi aided in cleaning the battlefield and healed themselves. I, Kaosu, felt the demon's presence no more upon the earth, but I realized the power of the armors was fractured. The demon had not won, but he had not lost, either, and Kaosu understood both sides had suffered greatly._

"_After days in feverish sleep where he cried out occasionally, Yukimura awoke. Indeed, nothing Kaosu did would heal Yukimura or relieve him from his nightmares. Kaosu realized that he had been useless and powerless to awaken Yukimura, and the warrior had awakened on his own accord. As he opened his eyes, tears streamed upon Yukimura's cheeks. 'This cannot be,' were Yukimura's first words. 'I will not touch this kanji again.'_

(N'deki)

Never again.

The great warrior gives up his weapon.

Do I wish to give up mine?

Why did it come to me?

"_I, Kaosu, was stunned by these words and begged him for an answer. Kaosu reminded him that he was a champion, but Yukimura replied, 'You wish me to be another. I am not that person. You wish upon me a task I cannot complete. I am not who you thought I was. I am not your god-warrior, even though I am a child of the fire. You fancy me to be like a great legend, but this is not my fate. I saw dark visions that told me so. Let this orb pass from my hands. It needs another, now, for it is done with me. I have been touched by darkness. I will fight with it no more.'_

"_Kaosu pleaded with him, but Yukimura could not be convinced. He then told Kaosu what he saw in his dreams. 'I remember hearing many mocking voices. A great chasm of fire and darkness stood on each side, but I was trapped in the middle. This is not meant to be the end of this long battle. I saw many things pass around me, but all was fire to me, but I perceived the darkness at all times. Many died, many were born, and so many were part of this battle in some way. Many great warriors besides me in the middle are not to end this long battle. We will die and pass from this world before its completion. You will know them, Kaosu. You will see the ones who will end this. You will know, and then, you will have your peace. You have no peace now, but you may find it then.'_

(Kayura)

Did the Ancient find his peace?

I hope so.

But I wish he were here.

He could handle this.

It overwhelms me.

"_Kaosu felt his soul ache with great pain, for the words of Yukimura rang true to his very bone. Then, Yukimura told Kaosu he would give the pearl to Junai. When he recovered, Yukimura rode away to the south again. At that time, Hideyoshi also begged to part company. 'I have been away too long,' he told Kaosu. 'I will not use my weapon again. I will take it, though, for it was given to me.' After Hideyoshi left, Kaosu, Terumoto, and Botenmaru went and took Li back to his homeland._

_When they reached Da-xia, she grieved to find that her husband was dead. After much thought, Kaosu gave the kanji to her. 'Li took an oath that his family would repay his debt, but he has done that in full. However, since he gave this to you first, it goes to you now.' Later, Botenmaru approached Kaosu with Lady Shina, who had stayed with Da-xia for a time. 'We will depart, now,' Botenmaru told Kaosu. 'There will be a time where you will see it in use again,' Lady Shina promised Kaosu. 'Now, it will rest, and the pair of us shall keep it for a time.'_

"_Terumoto stayed for some time and offered Da-xia shelter in his lands. Then, after a time, Terumto awoke one morning, and he tossed his pearl into the sea. 'Let it keep it,' he said softly. 'That is where I found it. The deeps will free it when it is needed again.' Kaosu, now realizing that the time of the armors had come to an end, allowed Terumoto to depart for his lands. After a time, I, Kaosu, also departed and spent many years roaming the land, looking for clues of the demon and gathering a great amount of knowledge onto scrolls._

(Cye)

So it ended.

They broke company.

They wrote history that people would know.

And the armors faded into legend.

What end was that?

"_Most importantly, Kaosu watched the families of the five warriors. Immediately after his return to Kyoto, Yukimura indeed gave the pearl to Junai, and he told her and Fushika the story of what had happened. It then came to light that Fushika had become pregnant. She claimed the child to belong to Yukimura, but she struck a deal with him so he could keep his honor. Fushika said if the girl was female, she would give the child her own name and give her no connection to the Sanada clan. However, if the child was male, she would give him the proper name of Sanada. Yukimura told her that she was never to tell the child, even if a male, that he was the father. Since there were many males in the clan, the child could not assume any of these men to be his or her father._

"_Yukimura then took leave of Fushika, and Junai went with him. In due time, Fushika gave birth to a healthy boy. She named him Akafushi, and he was very dear to her. The boy grew, and he possessed the vitality of his father, yet, he had the gentle, blue eyes of his mother. Fushika, in letting Kaosu and the three warriors into her dwelling, had shown a perceptiveness most did not have, and Akafushi also owned this trait. He questioned at an early age every word spoken by his mother, and he often asked about his father. To this, Fushika gave him no reply._

"_When Akafushi had almost reached his full manhood, Fushika became very ill. As she lay dying, she told her son the story of the armors. To him, she imparted the greatness of his father, and said that there was not another living person on earth that was his equal. When Fushika finished telling Akafushi all she knew, he begged her to tell him the name of his father. However, she kept the secret and took it into the afterlife._

(Ryo)

I meet no one's eyes.

My father did not know.

I had a name and no more.

How was I to guess?

History says he had no children.

"_Akafushi went to live with Junai, who at that time had just made a decent marriage. After some time, Akafushi asked for the name of his father from Junai. Junai knew of Yukimura's wishes, so she told him that she could not say. Akafushi then begged her to hold the kanji, for he felt that he would know his father if he held his kanji. Junai refused, and one day she lit a great fire and pitched the kanji in it; she knew the suffering it caused Yukimura, and she feared Akafushi ever having it. The fire erupted into a great column of flame, and when it stopped burning and all that remained were ashes, Junai was satisfied that the kanji had gone._

"_During that time, Hideyoshi imposed great change on the lands, and Terumoto and Yukimura were allied with him. Botenmaru grew in strength in the north, and Lady Shina had healthy children. This delighted Botenmaru, but he became confused unto which child he should pass his kanji. In time, Lady Shina came to him. She counseled him, and since all their children were noble, he told all of them about his treasure. Then, Lady Shina told her children that it would be given to none of them, but when it was needed, it would choose one of her heirs._

"_Lady Shina begged Botenmaru to travel for three days, and at the end of that time, to place the kanji in a dark place. Botenmaru questioned her, and she replied, 'Light is needed in darkness. The true heir will know it in darkness and misery.' Botenmaru rode, and on the dawn of the third day, he arrived at a cave. He went and placed the jewel under the earth, and laid the very earth over it. It was a great misery to him, but he did so, trusting his wife._

(Seiji)

The kanji left forever.

And stories remained.

Only stories.

Until they became real in the darkness.

"_Hideyoshi grew in prestige and power, and in time he had a child to Senhime. The boy, Toyotomi Hideyori, was born strong and healthy. During that time, Terumoto also spawned his heirs, but he had already entrusted his kanji to the sea. Hideyoshi eventually gave Hideyori all he had, including the kanji. While he was still young, Hideyoshi arranged a favorable marriage for Hideyori with Lady Yodo. While she was still young, Lady Yodo conceived Hideyori's child. _

_However, the midwife, Sanka, who was a descendant of the exiled Elquendi, dreamt of the child's death if it would touch the mother's arms._

"_When the child was delivered, Sanka bore it away from the mother. She told the mistress the child died shortly after birth, and while Lady Yodo and her house grieved, Sanka took the child to her own people. She named the child Hashiba, from the old name his grandfather used, but did not tell the child until he was older, for she feared for him. Sanka also called the boy Tsubasa, and Sanka took the boy to the secluded dwelling of her clan in the hills. There a remnant of Elquendi descendants still remained, and the people and Sanka raised Tsubasa as one of their own._

"_As he grew, Tsubasa could outrun any other person on land. He ran as fast as a bird could fly. However, he did not know much of the outside world and nothing of his family. As time passed, great change came across the land. Upon a field of battle, Yukimura fell from exhaustion, but even his mightiest enemies held him in reverence. During that same attack, Hideyori and all the members of Hideyoshi's line but Tsubasa perished. When Hideyori perished, the kanji came to Tsubasa one night while he ran under the stars. Tsubasa took the kanji back, and the first person he came upon was Reimei. Reimei was a lovely woman who retained the old grace and clairvoyance of the Elquendi women. When Reimei saw the kanji, she told Tsubasa that it had seen much sorrow. Tsubasa told her he felt this, and he then ran across the field and threw the kanji in the air. It landed among the stars, and it was visible only to those who were of the Elquendi bloodline. Ever the people of the Elquendi would look to the sky and find their star, and it became a symbol of hope for them._

(Rowen)

Hope.

Even when the world was changed.

The Ancient's history is amazing.

It's my history, too.

One that I never knew.

"_During that upheaval, Terumoto defended Hideyori and lost much of his prosperity when Hideyori lost. Botenmaru was able to court favor with the victors. In time, Da-xia came down across the sea with many of her clan. She was driven from her land as those who held power changed, and her clan settled in the north of the land. Da-xia taught Li-ming the story of her father and the kanji. She told the girl that she would keep the necklace, and through the women of the family Li's kanji passed. In time, the descendents of Li and Da-xia became prosperous and numerous, and they moved down from their seclusion into the land._

"_At this time, Kaosu retreated from the world because battle and sorrow had wearied him. Indeed, he had lived ages untold upon the earth, and his body wearied of strength. Kaosu never regained the strength he had before diminishing Badamon and destroying the gate. I, Kaosu, knew I was not to be the one to defeat the demon, Talpa. In time, Yukimura's worlds came true and all that had first bore the armors passed from the earth. Then, I, Kaosu, retreated to _

_Elberssëa where I meditated and gathered much information about the world. Kaosu wrote down the things he had learned, and the Lady's staff gave him insight._

"_As time passed, Kaosu was still unable to discover the other four armor bearers. As his body began to wane, the strength of his mind and spirit grew. Kaosu relied on the Lady's staff, and it took him where he pleased without horse or walking. During this time, Kaosu learned the natures of the other four armors, but he was never able to see them or their bearers. Kaosu felt that the demon Talpa, after seeing his powers, feared he could take the other bearers. Then, after the world had gone through ages of change, Kaosu felt the demon stir again._

(Kayura)

Talpa feared the Anceint.

And rightly so.

It was the Ancient's power that ended it all.

The staff's power.

"_It is then that I, Kaosu, write this. He comes again, but to when and where it is unknown. As he creeps back into the world, I, Kaosu, feel that mankind is weak. I, too, am weak, and I cannot fight him like I once did. I write this because I know those who read it will be worthy to come to this cave. My time is passing, and the grace of the Golden Lady may pass to another. If, beyond hope, it will find an heir where there is none, then this shall be read. When it is, I will have finally passed from the weariness that the long ages of the world laid upon me._

"_What will come of those who read this, I, Kaosu, do not know. What I am certain of is that they are worthy. As I finish this account, I feel more of the story is to come, but my part in this is ending. I have written my part in these events here, and I will place it now with the secrets of Amaterasu. She said, 'Do not read what lies in that bag, for it carries messages of doom. Those who read it are destined to become entangled in it.' If you now read this, you will know secrets beyond me, for I did not read her words. Her words now bind this scroll, and those that read, hear, or know these words now have a part in these tales."_

A/N: Okay, this is going to be a long note. Why? Well, if you skimmed this chapter, here are the brief details:

It was always difficult for me to believe that the armors were only used once. We know the Ronin armors were in their families, and with very minimal research (for Seiji, Rowen, Ryo, and Cye at least), you find they have very famous ancestors. Their ancestors literally ruled the country of Japan during the warring states period. It made sense that these famous people would probably be the ones to have the armors. Now, I know what you're thinking: Cye had more famous ancestors, and what about Kento's infamous ancestor (Genghis Khan?).

Anyway, this brings me to another point about the Ancient's history with the armors. So, the Warlords are about four hundred years old. If you even do a rough time line, this is what you find with births: Sanada Yukimura (1567), Masamune Date (1567), Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536/1537), Mouri Terumoto (1553), Anubis, Kale, and Sekhmet (1551), and Dais (1549). These dates are super close together, and that seemed to imply that the warlords probably knew the ancestor's of the Ronin Warriors. Also, if Talpa was going after armors, it seems like they all might have become active at that time, too. For another interesting note: Yukimura, Masamune, Hideyoshi, and Terumoto fought in the famous Battle of Sekigahara (although Masamune did not fight on the same side as the other three did). So, having Genghis Khan in this cpater seemed a little ridiculous, and sacrificing Kento's famous ancestor for a good time line made more sense.

This brings me to another point that's not in this chapter at all, actually, but that I'm going to mention anyway. The Ronin Warriors had powerful ancestors. Many people write that the Warlords were also very powerful men of their time. While I don't outright disagree with this (they have fighting skills and were probably exceptional warriors), I will say this about all the warlords except Dais: they were probably poor and unimportant. Kale and Sekhmet lived on the out skirts of the country, and Anubis said he wasn't from a powerful family. Now, if you're a person with any skill, but are born into an unimportant family in a feudal society, you're probably not going anywhere (Rowen's ancestor is an exception). Contrary to what most RW ff authors think, I would say the Warlords did not have a lot of status in the mortal world, and that is part of the reason they defected to Talpa, who promised them everything feudal society denied them.

The scene with Zera earlier gets at this point: she was told what she wanted to hear. Zera knows what frustration is, and she also knows what it's like to want something and for it to be denied because of her birth status (hello USSR). I think Zera's feelings are probably the closest to the Warlords when Talpa came to them; they hit a dead end and couldn't advance or be properly rewarded for their skills. Most likely, Kale and Sekhmet's hate of Seiji and Cye is partly because they envied their ancestors for being more powerful and richer than they were at the time. I imply that Sekhmet actually worked for the Mouri clan, and the Date clan had a fierce rivalry with the Hatakeyama clan, which were also in Northern Japan. I think Kale might have actually fought with the Hatakeyama, but I don't go into that in the story because it's irrelevant there.

I also decided, based on birthdates and dates of wars and major events, to have the period of the Ancient's 'adventure' in feudal Japan happen in 1583. Also, it's not a very long period of time, and I wanted the event to be important, but look like almost invisible in a historical perspective. One of the major reasons for this year was that Botenmaru did not yet become head of his family and take the name by which he would later become famous. This is also three years before Yukimura is sent to the Uesugi clan by his father as a hostage (it was a common practice, apparently, to give your children as hostages to establish 'credit' with neighboring families). 1583 was also a quiet year for Hideyoshi because he recently finished a campaign (against the Mouri clan, actually, and I sort of/tried to allude to this).

Now, you may say that you believe that the Ancient appears wimpy in this story. Yes, he's not a super fighter, but he's not weak, either. I didn't have him make the staff himself for a reason. It actually always seemed that it was more powerful than the person who wielded it, too. Also, yes, the Ancient does call out to the staff to strike the finishing blow on Talpa, and that just added to my idea that the staff was something more powerful than the Ancient reasonably knew how to make himself. However, I will also fully acknowledge the influence of Tolkien on the crafting of the Anceint's people. They aren't elves, but I drew on some of the ideas behind the beginning of the elves as a race and used them to form the Ancient's clan. The are the 'most perfect' people could become, essentially.

Any gripes? Complaints? I tried with this. It's been around for about three years, actually, and was one of the first things I wrote and has been revised numerous times. If you don't feel like reading it, you should read the asides/first person thought points. Who or what point of the story each character sympathizes with is how I did character development in this chapter. When you listen to a story, watch a movie or TV show, or read a book, you will relate to something in it. People are different in how they relate to characters and plot events. The Ronins and Co. are no exception.

Don't know what I mean? Lily relates to Yukimura's prostitute, Fushika, and the way she's marginalized by the members of the group at that time. This is a direct reflection on how Lily is feeling. She doesn't feel like she belongs, and she feels that she's being pushed out of the way because she's not 'good.' This is also a reflection on how she's feeling about her pregnancy.

Coming next, you are going to get the last chapter of part three, and it's significantly shorter than this chapter. It answers one real question: whom are they fighting now?

Peace Out and much thanks,

MorganRay


	31. The Changing Scroll

**End of Part Two: Author's Notes:**

Quick update: This is the end of part two. Part three is much shorter, full of action, and coming to you very soon. Part three is going to be Ryo-centric, although other characters are present.

A word on plot:

The nine armors are together, and the four seasonal armors belong to Nilla (fall/poison), Zera (winter/darkness), Nakeisha (summer/illusion), and N'deki (ogre/spring). The Ronin's have just helped the four girls escape a group of strange beings trying to capture them, but many of them were hurt in the process. Kayura has recovered a bag of scrolls, and the account of the Ancient One's time in the mortal world is told. The Ancient's story reveals that there are a lot of gods, goddesses, and demons involved with the armors. Alos, the Ronins hear about how their ancestors got the armors.

A word on other characters:

Kaede and Ryo have gotten together secretly. Most of the others do not like Kaede, but she is friends with Kento, Sean (Nakeisha's brother), and Bahkura (Kento's friend). Akio knows about Ryo/Kaede, but is silent on the issue. Cye has been attacked by a werewolf, and there is strained relations between him, Rowen, and Zera. N'deki has almost died several times trying to heal people, but Kayura and the Jewel have saved her. Lily, her friend, is pregnant, and only Nilla knows. The Warlords are in the hands of the enemy and have gone MIA for the meantime.

And now, with the story.

**The Changing Scroll**

(Ryo)

The room remained quiet. I looked down at my feet. I guess I'd always recognized my famous surname, but I never gave it much of a thought. Now, though, I realized I was connected to all these people across so much time. We were one and the same, in a way, and the armors connected us all together.

I heard shuffling, and looked up to see Mia beginning to roll up the scroll again. Kayura got back up and walked over to the table like a zombie. She sifted automatically through the papers without a glance at anyone else.

I looked around at everyone now, but no one was talking. I wasn't surprised. I went back to looking down at my feet. What did this all mean? I didn't know, but if we couldn't read the scrolls, did it matter?

'_Do not read what lies in that bag, for it carries messages of doom. Those who read it are destined to become entangled in it.'_

The Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, warned the Ancient One. She warned us, too, and it all felt a bit crazy. The Sun Goddess? I knew about the three treasures – everyone did – but I hadn't thought of Amaterasu as being involved in our fight. I never thought of her as being a player in the war with Talpa.

I tried to picture her and Hariel. What did they look like? What did the Ancient think when he came across a goddess fighting Talpa?

"This one!" Kayura shouted. I jumped and snapped my eyes up to watch the table. Kayura had unrolled a circular piece of paper. "I can read this one."

Mia looked at it and gasped. "What is this? Seiji, Cye, look at this."

The other two people at the table leaned over the paper. Cye's eyebrows shot up above his forehead, and Seiji's mouth fell open a little. "Mia, what is it?" Seiji asked. Mia only shook her head.

Immediately, everyone else got up and flocked to the table. I heard Zera gasp when she looked down at the paper. When I looked at it, I saw the writing shift into modern kanji. I could read it, too! I suddenly realized the surprise: the writing would change so you could read the scroll.

"T-this is in English," N'deki gasped as she stared down at the paper. "C-can all of you read it, too?"

"Yes," Zera muttered, "except I'm reading Russian."

"And we're all reading Japanese," Rowen muttered as he fingered the strange circular scroll. "Well, how do we read it? I can see the words, but they look wound together and they don't make sense."

"It's art," Nakeisha muttered. "It's a poem, but it's woven together into a design. Get a piece of tracing paper."

I heard Yuli dash off, but he bolted back with paper and pencil. Mia spread the tracing paper over the scroll, and we just stared at it for a while.

"Here," Kayura said after a moment, "start here, along the edge."

Nakeisha began to trace, and soon, she found a design that seemed to make the paper into a group of intertwining circles. "Ten circles on the edge, nine below that, then five, four, and finally, two," Mia said as she ran her fingers of the design, "and there is this thing in the middle. I don't know this symbol."

Kayura bent down to stare at it. "I don't know it either, but it seems to be the focal point of this scroll."

Rowen picked up the tracing paper and looked at the actual scroll. "Well, look at this. Nine of the outside circles connect to the nine inner circles, and five of those connect to the other five circles, and four of the nine connect to the set of four circles."

"Where does the tenth circle connect?" Nilla asked. "I see ten on the outside, but one of them doesn't connect to the row of nine, five, or four."

I looked at the paper and realized Nilla was right. "No, the tenth one connects down to one of the two circles," I said. "And the other circle in the set of two connect to one circle from the five set."

"Oh, well, let's read it," Kento muttered and pushed the scroll towards Kayura. "Do the honors."

Kayura looked up at Mia. "We can all read it, but Mia, you read it aloud."

Everyone pressed around the table to see the strange letters that would flicker before your eyes. They were obviously written in a different language, but they were shifting around so that everyone could read them. I felt a shadow flit behind me as I stared down at the scroll.

'_Do not read what lies in that bag, for it carries messages of doom,'_ Amaterasu warned us. I brush the thought away. I don't need to be acting silly now. It's a piece of paper. We need to hear it. I watch as Mia points to the first circle. The kanji come into focus so I can read them easily.

"No moon nor sun appeared, no stars were seen, nor constellations, neither was night manifest nor day, neither months nor half-months, neither years nor seasons, neither female nor male. Beings were reckoned just as beings only," Mia began, "Out of the Realm of Radiance Gousanze first came to open the air. Spirits stir; the worlds come back into form."

Mia looks up at us. "Well, that's the first circle. They don't seem to say too much, but let me continue. Jikokuten comes with song. The worlds awake; spirits roused from ageless slumber. Kongou-Yasha builds into form. Shapes fill the void; Beings walk and are aware of more than spirit. Zochoten comes with sword and weight; judge the people; let them know themselves; awareness rises, and the worlds are warm."

It's a strange poem, but I realize it's talking about the beginning of 'the worlds.' I think it might mean our world, but it hasn't said so yet. "Gundari opens the spirit; without light, there is no day. The spirits awaken to beauty; the spirits move through the worlds, ever more there than in the Realm of Radiance," Mia continues.

"Tamonten brings knowledge and wealth; proud and strong, teaching the peoples discipline. The worlds fill with wealth; many things great and powerful flow into the worlds; the spirits are strengthened. Daiioku washes through; purify the spirits; cleanse the beings of the worlds. All is new; devils are banished. Komokuten shows the future; comes bearing a call to light; the light in the air is to come. The spirits know things; they come together above the greatest world; it is a lesser land of the Realm of Radiance."

Mia bites her lip. I can see there is a change in the writing. The eight connect, but the other two are connected together. Mia points to the out rim and reads the last two. "Two faces of one being come; a center is given. Eight spirits become deva, and the one splits into two. The center is bright; it is more powerful, and one is the twin of the other . . ."

There's a pause. I can't really read the next set of kanji. I couldn't read the other eight names, but Mia was able to do so. Now, though, she seems stumped. "What is it?" Nilla asks as she traces the writing, which ripples under her fingers. "Do you know what it says?"

"It's got to be a name," Rowen replied. "Look here. In the other circle, there's another weird set of kanji. These are the last two names, I think."

Kayura touches them. "Yes, you're correct," she says more to herself than to any of us, "but what do they say? The one seems to be . . . Ish-ee-tar. Ishatar."

I mouth the word. "Ishatar," I taste the word on my tongue. I feel the power as the sound leave my mouth. Ishatar. A deva. A god.

"Ishatar to bring life and passion," Mia finishes the ninth circle. Then, she begins the tenth circle. "Both were sisters, twins cut at the beginning of the worlds. One to be of mind; always self-aware, seeing beyond sight, spirit is a weapon. This one to know herself . . . Ee-resh-kig-elle," Mia mutters the name. I feel a chill shoot down my spine. I watch as Kayura's back straightens.

Mia is not oblivious, but she keeps on reading. "Ereshkigal to bring center and perception of spirit," Mia finishes. Here, she swallows, and then, she drags her finger to the middle symbol. I hear a gasp. It's the same as the kanji for Ereshkigal.

First, though, Mia points to one of the five circles. "In all his might, Gousanze spurned the center pair a place in the air. One wondered there, lighting the land with flame; one did slink away to find her own domain.

"Jikokuten had no place to give, no palace or domain. Living in song, upon the earth, brining life to those who would not birth. One stayed to see the first of all deva birthed of spirit and body; the other did slink away to find her own domain

"What does that all mean?" Kento asks. "Mia, these make no sense."

"Well, actually, they do," Mia mutters. "They're talking about the relationship among these ten devas. It seems that there are eight, and then the two sisters. Basically, the two sisters are not a place to call their realm while the other eight build realms and establish their own forms of kingdoms."

Rowen taps a place on one of the scrolls. "Each of the middle four and five mention legacies. They say 'this is a legacy' or 'the legacy was made of' and then they mention a person or odd name."

Nakeisha bends down and stares at all of the circles. "The middle circles don't make as much sense. I think more information is probably on the other scrolls, but the outside circles are talking about the beginning of the world."

Then, everyone went silent. I trace the figure in the middle of the paper. I heard Kento clear his throat. "Mia . . ." Cye begins to stutter out the sentence asking Mia to read again.

"No," Kayura snaps, and everyone falls silent again. I look up at Kayura, but I can almost feel the ink pulsing under my hand. I can feel it darting behind my back, just out of my sight. For a moment, I see the shadow out of the corner of my eye, and I feel a fever break over my body.

"Ereshkigal, Ereshkigal," I begin in a louder voice than was needed, "You broke the unity; vile acts in the deepest place of spirit. Ereshkigal, Ereshkigal, you bend your sight to your will only; to see all you can undo. Ereshkigal, Ereshkigal, you see much but see will not see all; to destroy the realms is to make you fall. Ereshkigal, Ereshkigal, you cut through spirit and mind; to match you there is none."

I end, and all is silent. The hairs all over my body are standing up. What possessed me to read that? I can feel the acrid taste of that name in my mouth. Eight times I said it, and I can taste every syllable on my tongue.

"Shit," Rowen mutters, "we've opened Pandora's box."

The phone rings, and I watch half of the room jump. I start to move towards the receiver. "Just let it go," Nilla mumbles. "I think this is more important."

"Wow, phones have bad timing," Kento mutters as I pick up the receiver anyway.

"Hello? Can I speak to Ryo?" Kaede asks. I try to keep the grin from sliding over my face. I haven't talked to her since that night, and the memories of our time together flood back to me. Then, a cold sweat sweeps down my spine. I'm in a room full of people that don't need to know about this at all.

I look over at Rowen before I can stop myself. "Yeah, this is Ryo," I say hesitantly. I don't want to mess this up, but I can't exactly be candid, either. "This might not be a good time."

There's silence on the other end of the line. "I felt someone needed to call," Kaede responds, and I can feel the chill in her voice. I sigh.

"It's not like that, and I've been very busy. It's not a slight, okay? I really was going to call," I tell her in a whisper. I can feel everyone's eyes boring into me, and I practically hear the words ready to come out of Nilla's and Nakeisha's mouths.

I bite my lip as I wait for Kaede to speak. "I thought you were different," she says at last.

I groan and suppress the urge to scream at her. Instead, I whisper, "I am. I promise this will happen later. I'm very busy. Please trust me on this one."

There's a pause, and I wonder what she's going to say. I expect to hear the phone click. "Well, then, meet me again. Ten at my house."

I want to scream into the phone. I'm white knuckling the receiver because I have no idea what to say. I want to go to her. I want to have all that fun and pleasure all over again, but I know I should be here. I'm needed to fight this goddess and help my fellow armor bearers.

I lick my lips. If I refuse, I could lose her. I know which is more important, but when I open my mouth, I still don't know what to say. All I know is that she's going to hang up on me soon. "I . . . I would prefer tomorrow."

The phone clicks. I slam down the receiver. What a fool! Why didn't I say okay? Why didn't I tell her tonight was great? I go to pick up the phone and dial her number again, but a hand slams down upon it. I look up and see Rowen.

"I will fucking kill you if you dial that number," he mutters, and his eyes are as hard as steel. I scowl at him, and I almost want to fight him.

"We have more important matters to attend to," Kayura replies. I don't turn away from glaring at Rowen, though. "We need to draft a plan to train the new armor bearers, Ryo. We need you right now."

I loosen my hold on the receiver and turn away from Rowen to stare at the group. Nilla's eyebrows are raised, and I can see Seiji looking at me, calculating what was said on Kaede's end of the line. However, everyone knows who called me, and I wonder if they suspect what happened between us. I feel the shadow flit over my shoulder. I almost snap around, but then, stop myself.

I shake my head. What am I thinking? I need to be here. "We're going to train," I tell everyone with a renewed strength in my voice. I sound confident. "We're going to win again. Talpa couldn't stop us, and neither will this goddess."


	32. Part Three: Plans

**Part Three**

**Nine**

"Picking up things we shouldn't read;

It looks like the end of history as we know;

It's just the end of the world.

Into a place where thoughts can bloom;

Into a room where it's nine in the afternoon.

And we know that it could be.

And we know that it should.

And that you can feel it, too."

"Nine in the Afternoon" by Panic! At the Disco

A word on plot:

The nine armors are together, and the four seasonal armors belong to Nilla (fall/poison), Zera (winter/darkness), Nakeisha (summer/illusion), and N'deki (ogre/spring). The Ronin's have just helped the four girls escape a group of strange beings trying to capture them, but many of them were hurt in the process. Kayura has recovered a bag of scrolls, and the account of the Ancient One's time in the mortal world is told. The Ancient's story reveals that there are a lot of gods, goddesses, and demons involved with the armors. Also, the Ronins hear about how their ancestors got the armors. The goddess Erishkigel is revealed to be the one orchestrating the attacks, but no one has seen her except Kayura.

A word on other characters:

Kaede and Ryo have gotten together secretly. Akio knows about Ryo/Kaede, but is silent on the issue. Cye has been attacked by a werewolf, and there is strained relations between him, Rowen, and Zera. N'deki has almost died several times trying to heal people, but Kayura and the Jewel have saved her. Lily, her friend, is pregnant, and only Nilla knows. The Warlords are in the hands of the enemy and have gone MIA for the meantime.

And now, with the story.

**Plans**

The Lair:

The dark shape, her robes billowing about her body, ascended a winding path with only a faint candle to guide her. Her yellow eyes pierced the night, and the dark never frightened her. She turned the corner and opened a door behind which she heard shouts.

"Kikyo," the sorceress said in an even voice, "you are needed."

Kikyo turned away from the three prisoners. "I promised my sister," she whispered, and the sorceress could see the blood lust in Kikyo's eyes. Excitement at the torture of their prisoners filled Kikyo now, but the sorceress had no patience for games.

"She wants us," the sorceress reminded. She scowled as the girl turned away from her. She took a step forward into the room. She would not be out done by this upstart. "You cannot disobey Her, Kikyo. You will listen to me."

Kikyo shot a glance back at the sorceress. "Hecate, it is not to you that I will listen." With that, Kikyo stowed the twin jitte back in their sheaths. "Let us go," she said as she darted out of the chamber and limberly passed by Hecate. The sorceress scowled and slammed the door shut before following Kikyo back down into the darker regions where she knew her Lady waited.

They gathered in the chamber above the tall, black gate, which stood completely open. The gate, with its two doors, which were smooth like wet ice, did not reflect the faint light from small fires that smoldered around the room. When Hecate arrived, she saw the assembly she expected. All of those who fought stood in a semi-circle and waited for the Lady to come up through the gate.

Hecate took her place among those gathered around the gate. Finally, a pale oval appeared between the two, large black doors. Then, two burning pits became apparent in the marble white face. Until the Lady stepped across the threshold and into the light, no other part of her shape could be seen.

When she materialized from the abyss, she appeared too tall and out of proportion. Everything about her seemed too slender, and her very body, cloaked completely in a single, flowing black robe, seemed an anomaly of nature

"No armor bearers," she said in a sonorous, monotone voice. Her voice did not raise, but everyone stood, heads bowed, and in rapt attention.

Kikyo stepped forward and looked up to meet the Lady's eyes. "I wanted to stay and fight, my Lady. It was her," Kikyo spat and turned her gaze to Hecate, "who insisted we flee like cowards."

"You are a fool," Hecate snarled, "You should have rid us of yourself and stayed to fight the Kikoutei and the Ancient's Heir with all the other eight armors backing them. Or, is it that you could not do it on your own?"

Kikyo barred her teeth like a feral animal as she met Hecate's yellow eyes in the challenge of wills. "It is you that seems to lack the strength to stay and fight," Kikyo growled, but before she could say another word, the Dark Lady raised her hands.

"Do you know the power of the God Armor?" Ereshkigal's voice echoed throughout the chamber. "Do any of you know its strength?"

The room fell silent again as no one dared venture an answer. After a moment, the Dark Lady said, "That is what I thought. You were correct to retreat. It is not time to fight the God Armor. The armors were lost, and the bearers cannot be controlled until Ryo is subdued."

"Let us go to the little boy," the angelic blond chirped from her spot in the circle. "We had such fun playing together."

The Dark Lady panned her eyes across her minions. Kikyo stepped forward and said, "I will fight him for you."

The Dark Lady motioned to the gate, and a group of shadows stepped forward from the blackness. "No, Kikyo, this is not your battle. All of you will wait for a time." When they stepped outside the gate, the shadows, too, gained outlines and features. They each wore masks of varying colors and expressions, but the one who stepped forward to the Lady wore a green and red mask topped with horns that bore the expression of a screaming demon.

The masked demon stood motionlessly by the Lady as she produced a small, black cloth from her sleeve. What was wrapped in it, none could tell, but the masked demon held out a hand, which remained hidden in the folds of the cloak it wore, to take the Lady's present.

When the masked demon stowed the precious package in its own robes, it and the other masked creatures ascended a winding path. The Lady then turned to go back through the gate deeper underground. "Be patient. The time draws near. I will need you soon."

(Ryo)

I look down at my watch. It's eleven-thirty now, and I know I'm almost a block away. I wanted to stay in the house, but I couldn't sleep. When I couldn't sleep, I got up and decided to take a run. Before I started running, I knew to whom I was running.

I stop and catch my breath when I reach her house. I stretch as I study her window, which is still lit. I grin, despite myself, and decide to be traditionally cheesy and throw a rock. It hits, but there's no response, so I throw another rock.

Then, the window opens, and Kaede sticks her head outside. Her eyebrows shoot up as she stares down at me. She only responds with a shake of her head, but I know, despite myself, I'm grinning at her. "You're late," she says, and there's no mistaking the irritation in her voice.

"Forgiveness is that easy for you?" I ask teasingly. I want to win her over, but I don't want to tell her about the reason for my rudeness earlier.

Kaede sighs and shakes her head. "I didn't say I'm letting you inside. You'll have to get in yourself, and I'm getting tired. You might want to go home, but you won't be coming back tomorrow. There will be other people home. Why did you think I said tomorrow was a bad idea?"

I bite my lower lip. She's alone inside the house! That's why she wanted me to come over today! "Okay, just leave your window open for me."

Kaede rolls her eyes. "Getting a ladder? That will take too long. Go home, Ryo, you disappointed me, okay?" she says and goes to shut her window.

I leap into the air. I know I'm exposing something, but I don't care. I read the window's height correctly and land on the windowsill. I slip inside before she can stop me. Kaede gasps and slides out of my way as I steady myself on her carpet.

I stand up, go over, and shut the window while she stands like a statue. I turn to her, and now, I'm serious, too. "Kaede, I have been busy. I haven't forgotten you, and I'm sorry about being rude earlier. You picked a bad time to call."

Her eyes are still wide in disbelief, but she purses her lips. I can see the thoughts whirling behind her eyes, and I know she's evaluating what exactly she wants her reaction to be. I wait for her to decide what she's going to tell me, but I think I can guess what she feels.

She's glad I came. She wants me to stay. I've convinced her.

"That was a nice trick," Kaede mutters. "I don't like that 'bad times' dictate when you're rude to me, by the way."

I frown as I stare at her in her skimpy, silk nightshirt and cotton shorts that leave every part of her nicely formed legs exposed. "This has to be a bit of a secret, okay? I have to live with Rowen, and I'm sure you understand how that works."

Kaede rolls her eyes and waves her hand to blow off my words. "Rowen? Ryo, I can't believe you're letting them get in the way! We're what is important. I want you with me, and I don't like it that Rowen is affecting our relationship like he's a third member. He's not."

I sigh and run my hands through my hair. I can't explain that there are at least eight other members, plus a few, to this relationship. Kaede crosses her arms. She's waiting for my reply. "Can this part of our relationship, at least, be kept secret? I don't want anything too public, okay? No one would be okay if they found out we were sleeping together."

She sighs and looks away from me for a moment. When, she turns back to me, I can't read her eyes, but I know she's not happy. "I'm not used to discrete relationships, but I'll give it a try," Kaede says as she walks over and takes my hands, "but I want to ask you something. Are you okay that we're sleeping together?"

I don't hesitate. "Yes," I say, and I can't help but smiling. "You know I like you. I don't regret that at all."

"Then why do you care so much about it being public?" Kaede asks as she looks up into my eyes. I sigh, but I force myself to hold eye contact with her. She wants me to give in and say she's more important than everyone else right now, but I know I can't do that, either.

"There are some tough things happening right now, and I don't need any added stress. We'll tell them in time, okay? It's not time, yet," I tell her. She squeezes her lips together, and I think she might argue with me until the sun comes up.

Then, she sighs and wraps her arms around me instead. "Fine," Kaede mumbles, "I guess we'll conduct things on your terms for a while, Ryo." I sigh with relief and pull her close to me. I realize I miss the feel of her body against mine. "But Ryo," Kaede continues, "I want to tell you that sooner or later, I will stop caring what everyone else thinks. I'll want you too much."

I grin as I meet her eyes. "Well, I want you right now," I mutter. Kaede laughs and goes to turn off her light while I make my way to her bed.

(Mia)

When I wake up, the house is still and quiet. I'm looking at the ceiling of the attic, and when I roll off the old mattress I've where I've slept, I can see the sun streaming through the dust and grit between me and the window. I glance down at Yuli, but he doesn't stir in his sleep as I carefully pull myself off the mattress. My feet glide into slippers before I creep downstairs.

I peek in the closest rooms to the staircase, and they're all empty. Kayura has everyone outside already, but I think there's still one person left asleep, so I make my way down the stairs. It doesn't matter how much noise I make now that I'm in the kitchen.

I don't know when Kayura's going to bring everyone back, but they're going to need to eat. I open the refrigerator and pull out two cartons of eggs. I hunt for the large skillet and find it easily enough. When I set the front burner and start cracking the eggs, I heard a yawn.

"Yuli," I say without turning around, "did I wake you?"

"I guess," Lily answers, and I spin around to stare at the bleary-eyed girl. "I wasn't sleeping heavily, either, so it's really not your fault. I guess I was sort of awake before now."

I gesture for Lily to take a seat at the table. Turning back to the eggs, I say, "I felt very proud at how quiet I was upstairs."

"Upstairs?" Lily sounds surprised, but I can't look at her as I put some eggs on the skillet. "I was sleeping on the living room couch," Lily says as I open the freezer to get out bacon and sausage to thaw.

I snap my head around to look at Lily. "I've been a bad host. If sleeping on the couch upset you, you could have had my mattress with Yuli," I tell her. "I bet they woke you when they went out for training. Whose idea was it for you to sleep on the couch?"

Lily only shrugs. I feel the corners of my mouth being tugged down. It feels under handed to me that any of the guys would let that one pass considering that they all knew very well at what hour they were getting up to train. "Whose idea was it for you to sleep on the couch?" I ask Lily again, and this time I meet her eyes.

She looks away for a moment, and then, she mutters, "Ryo. He said the other rooms were full, and I would get privacy in the living room."

I sigh and take the spatula to the eggs so they don't stick to the pan. Even though I don't look at Lily, I can feel her staring at my back getting ready to say something. "It's not Ryo's fault, Mia," Lily mutters, and my eyebrows shoot up.

"I think it's very much his fault, and I'll tell him that later. It's bad hosting to let one's guest sleep on the couch while you're in a bed," I tell Lily as I take the first eggs off the skillet. I put them on a plate and offer them to Lily.

"Thank you," she says as she takes a fork and begins to pick at them. "I'm never that hungry in the morning, so sorry if I don't eat them all, but they're very good."

I smile and crack a couple more eggs into the skillet while I search for another pan in which to cook the meat. "After breakfast, I'm going to take you and Yuli back to the city with me. I'll take you home first before I drop off Yuli," I tell Lily as I plop the pan on another burner.

"Can I stay?" Lily asks, and I stop cooking to look at the young girl. I sigh and shake my head when I meet her pleading, blue eyes. "Why not?" Lily pouts. "Nilla can stay. Everyone else gets to stay!"

I frown because I know she's not going to like the answer I'm going to give her. It's the answer everyone else has been giving her, but this time, I know it's time for Lily to go. "Lily, everyone else is staying to train all day. They're going to spend the night again tonight, train tomorrow again, and then go home tomorrow evening. There's nothing for you to do here, and the Ronin Warriors need to concentrate. Yuli and I are leaving for most of the time, too, because we can't be of any use here, either."

"You can at least read their papers," Lily mumbles as she begins to fidget with the hem of her sleeping shirt, "I can't even do stupid little things like that! I don't mean to say what you do is stupid, Mia, I don't mean that at all! All I mean is that I really can't do anything . . ."

"Which is why you'll probably better off at home now," I tell Lily, and she looks up at me. She frowns as she meets my gaze. It's very difficult for me to say 'no' to those large, innocent eyes, but I tell her, "If there's an attack here--"

"There's going to be an attack?" Lily gasps, and her eyes get even wider than they already are. I shake my head and hold up my hands to quiet her down. Then, I turn back to the eggs or they'll start to burn.

"No, Lily, I don't think there's going to be an attack today or tomorrow, but I don't know," I tell her. "We don't know what this new enemy will do. She's quiet for a long time, and then, she strikes us many times in several days."

I hear Lily sigh as I put new eggs into the pan and flip the bacon and sausage because they're starting to sizzle on one side. "I guess your nice house is a good place for them to be safe?" Lily asked. "I mean, not that I don't think I won't be safe, but they're not going to be found here?"

I didn't know how to tell Lily that this house had been attacked before. So I lied. "Yes, Lily, everyone will be safe here. We'll be fine, too, you know," I told her as I took the bacon and sausage off the skillet and put more raw meat onto it. I went back the refrigerator to grab bread to make toast.

"That's good," Lily says, her tone one of relief. "I like your house, by the way. It's very nice. I'm not sure if I said so before now, though. How did you get such a nice property?"

"I, um, inherited it," I told her as I placed two slices of bread into the toaster. I bit my lip when I thought about my grandfather, but I didn't blame Lily for missing that in the wash of information yesterday.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, and I turned to look at the childish shook on her face. "I'm so sorry, Mia! I didn't mean to be rude! I just . . . well, I guess I just forgot. I'm sorry, though. I'm sorry for your loss."

I nodded and turned away from Lily to tend to the eggs, which were completely cooked. "Well, he would be proud of what I'd decided to do with the house," I told Lily as I took old eggs off and put the new eggs onto the pan. "He would have liked all of them, I think. He spent so much time researching the armors."

"What did he do?" Lily asked. "Did he work at the university?"

I nodded but didn't turn to look at her because the toast popped out at that moment. "He was a tenured professor. He wrote a book before I came back to Japan, and when I finally got around to talking to him again, he gave it to me. I read it and couldn't get enough of what he wrote. I always liked my grandfather, but I guess I never really understood him and what he loved and what he did until I read his book. I felt like I read some of the missing parts to his mind that I didn't understand before."

"What was his book about?" Lily asked, and I realized I had been talking to myself more than to her.

I put more bacon on the skillet. "Oh, it was about armors and weapons," I told her, "It wasn't anything revealing or special to ordinary people. It was certainly no tell all, but to me, it told me so many things about my grandfather. When I read his book, I felt I knew him so much better, and when I saw him, or when he called me, I would talk to him about what he had written. That's how it all started."

"That's how what started? I don't follow you," Lily said, and this time, I turned to look at her. I leaned against the counter and said, "My grandfather, after he wrote that book, found more information on the Ronin armors. He shared what he found with me because, in me, he found a like-minded person who appreciated whatever direction his research would stray."

"Oh," Lily said and nodded for me to keep talking. A small smile tugged at my lips as I pointed to the upstairs level of the house. Lily turned her head around to stare in the direction I pointed.

"It was upstairs, in this house, that we did more of our work." I dropped my hand back down to my side. "I would be at the computer, or we would both be crowded around the table sometimes. In the beginning, I fetched a lot of things for my grandfather. When I learned to translate the documents, I would help him. Sometime, because he still taught, I would help him correct papers or do some reading and translating while he was attending to university needs."

Lily turned around to face me again. "That sounds like you did a lot of work," she said as she cocked her head to one side, "But what happened, then? Didn't your grandfather know Talpa was going to come?"

I sighed and shook my head. "It was about two months before Talpa came, and I was in France with my mother. I got a call one evening from grandfather. He said he couldn't sleep and started talking about some random things happening in Japan," I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I remembered that phone call so vividly as I sat on my bed in my jeans. I had been practicing my translation skills, to the annoyance of my mother, when he called. Mom had said I needed to take a 'real vacation' and not just remove myself to another continent to study.

"I knew something was wrong because he could sleep anywhere," I continued to speak because I realized Lily was still listening, and she couldn't hear my thoughts. "I remember my grandfather sleeping on the most uncomfortable hotel beds, outside on the lawn, at his desk, and on the craggiest pieces of earth, where I had more than one sleepless night, when we went camping."

"Anyway," I realized I had been babbling to myself, "he called me. I asked him what was wrong. I asked what he had found, because I was positive that was the only thing that could have upset my grandfather that much. He said he couldn't tell me over the phone. I told him I would ask mom to come back early, but she had none of _that_."

I sighed as I thought of my mother's intolerance to my grandfather. They were two separate people, who, I thought, shared the fact that they were both stubborn about their dedication to two different lifestyles. I had been their reason for a truce.

"What did your grandfather find?" Lily asked. I shook my head at my own wanderings. I needed to remember my audience.

"I came back and found my grandfather. What he found was the first mention of Talpa and 'the Dynasty of Evil.' While it wasn't much, it dated to the time of Talpa's first attack, but we didn't know that was his first attack at that time." I paused and remembered how chilling it had been to read those words. "My grandfather had rediscovered the armors, and now, he had found their enemy. He worked frantically for the next couple of months. He found more mentions of demons, and a couple specific mentions of Talpa. A group of entries dated from the time the Ronin's ancestor's got the armors, although we didn't know they had the armors at that time."

I paused to take the meat and eggs off the oven. The eggs were rubbery, and the meat had started to burn. I put more on the skillets and put in more toast, too. Then, I turned back to Lily and said, "Anyway, less than a week before Talpa came, he found the poem with a couple other documents. There weren't that many, but they all were very unique. I think they may have been written by the Ancient One, or now, I think it's possible for them to have been written by one of the Ronin ancestors."

"What happened? Did he die, then?" Lily asked in a soft voice. I shook my head as I turned to check on the eggs.

"No, not then, but I think he knew. You know, I've heard how people have a sixth sense when they're going to die. I think, when grandfather read about Talpa, he knew that it would be his end. I couldn't put that into words then, though," I whispered. "I just thought he was . . . involved in his work."

"I'm sorry again," Lily whispered. I shook my head and raised a hand to silence her and let her know her comments were no problem to me. However, I still needed to swallow the lump that formed in my throat.

"I was with him when Talpa came. He said this was his fear," I whispered. "He knew it had begun, and I was afraid, too, but I didn't really understand. Later, much later, I began to understand the power of Talpa. Lily, I'm glad you can't understand."

The girl blinked, and then, I saw tears start to form in her eyes. I walked over to her and handed her a napkin. I bent down and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. "I'm sorry this has upset you. You shouldn't be here, Lily," I muttered in her ear.

I felt her shake her head. "No, no, that's not it. The stories are all sad, but I don't remember anything that happened during the wars. Everything that's happened has been so sudden, and what happened with Nilla scared me, but that's not it."

"Shhh," I muttered as I patted the girl's head. "I'll take you home."

Lily pulled away from me then and looked up into my face as she dried her eyes. "Mia, I don't know why I'm crying," she whispered as her sobs began anew.

I sighed and pulled her up into another embrace. "It's okay. If you don't remember anything, you should be fine eventually. I'll get you back home, okay? How does that sound? You'll be safe again."

"That sounds good," Lily muttered, and she pulled away from me again to meet my gaze. I almost gasped at how bright blue and clear her eyes were when she cried. I realized I'd rarely seen eyes that had such a vivid color. "Mia," Lily asked, "please promise me you won't leave me out of everything."

"Neither of us can fight, Lily, but I won't pretend this never happened to you," I told her. "I promise you I won't let you be forgotten because you don't have an armor."

(Nilla)

"Wake up," a familiar voice called. I pulled the sheets closer to me and rolled over on my side. I felt the sheets tugged away from me as I was rolled off my back and onto my side. I blinked up as the lights in the room blazed to life. The light pained my eyes, and I gradually blinked them open.

Nakeisha kneeled by my side. "We're going for a jog."

"It's not light out," I muttered, and Nakeisha only shrugged. "I'm just the messenger. Oh, and wear your sub armor. We need to get used to wearing them."

I muttered as I rolled out of bed and fished for my orb. At least I didn't have to think about dressing. I donned my sub armor, and the influx of power from it helped wake me up. I went to the bathroom to comb my hair and brush my teeth.

When I came out, I met Rowen lounging in the kitchen. I punched him lightly in the shoulder and tousled his hair with my other hand. "Sleepy?" I asked him. He yawned and tried to shove me away and his head drooped down towards his chest before jerking back up.

"Seen Ryo?" he muttered. "Wasn't in his bed."

"Maybe the bathroom?" I asked as I grabbed Rowen's arm and pulled him outside into the stinging morning air. The chilly, dew-laden air seemed to stir Rowen to consciousness. Then, I saw a familiar figure in red.

"What are you doing up so early?" Rowen asked Ryo, who was sitting and stretching outside the door. "We wondered why you weren't in bed."

Ryo perked his head up when he heard our voices. He yawned and said, "I decided, you know, to take a pre-jog jog. Just to get warmed up."

I heard Rowen snort. "This has nothing to do with showing us up," Rowen muttered. Ryo grinned sleepily and shrugged.

"No, I decided to try responsibility," he muttered. I rolled my eyes as I began to stretch my legs. Then, the rest of the group flooded out of the house. Everyone sat around quietly and began to warm up. Then, Rowen got up, and I hoisted myself off the ground to follow him. Ryo, Rowen, and I began to jog into the woods, and I heard the pounding of feet behind us.

I found a pace, and my breathing evened out in a rhythm. I sucked in the cold morning air, and it burned in my lungs, but I pressed my body forward, even though it began to ache. I reached for the burn in my muscles and kept them moving. Plus, Rowen's run seemed almost like a sprint to me, but I could keep pace with Ryo, and we both strove to catch Rowen. It caused me to push myself harder when I ran than I normally would have done.

We jogged through the woods and around the lake. Then, we came back through the woods and ran up the driveway. The sun beamed through the clouds when we arrived back, and Kayura waited for us at the door. "Let us go out into the woods," Kayura requested as all of us stopped running to stretch and catch our breaths.

I looked at Kayura, who wore a more elaborate kimono than I thought necessary. She didn't wear the one I saw at the dance, but this one was somehow more regal. It was an older style of dress, and it was white, but the underneath layers were blue, red, and black. She, of course, held the staff, and even though she appeared calm, I thought she still looked worn and tired. I guess it was her job, of sorts, to train us, but I wondered if it might not be better for her to go lay down. However, no one else said anything, and I thought it was not my place to speak against Kayura.

"What are we waiting for?" Kento asked after a moment. His rubbed the sweat from his ruddy face, and I was surprised he wasn't winded. "I was kicking Cye's ass during the run! It's time for some fighting."

A small smile slid across Kayura's lips, and even when it disappeared, I saw it linger in her eyes. Nakeisha hauled herself off the ground, and she, too, seemed impatient to get training under way. I picked myself up, too, so that I could show I was ready to go fight. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but my enthusiasm was starting to outweigh my anxiety, even at this early hour.

Finally, Kayura began to move towards the forest behind the manor. Everyone else got up to follow her, and we all walked in silence to wherever she was going to take us. I kept pace with Ryo and Rowen, and the three of us stayed respectfully behind Kayura but in front of everyone else. I could hear the shuffling footsteps of the remainder of the group as we wound our way through the woods until we came to a clearing.

Kayura paused in the center of the clearing, and I halted with Ryo and Rowen. I heard the shuffling behind us stop, too, and the sounds of the forest filled my ears. The birds chirped, and the leaves seemed to whisper to each other. My heart thumped in my chest, and my breaths formed little puffs in front of me, even though it was warm, and I realized this was what the world sounded like without planes, cars, and the noise of civilization.

Kayura turned towards us, and her kimono rustled on the grass. "Form a circle around me," she told us. I walked over and stood behind Kayura with Ryo on my right and with Rowen on my left. The three of us stood at attention as we waited for Kayura's instructions.

With a swish of her kimono, she turned again and walked towards me. "I need to see what I'm working with," Kayura said, and she didn't have to raise her voice above a conversational tone. "I want each of you to spar – no weapons or full armors – in the center of this circle. This is for the benefit of the girls because I have barely seen you fight, and you are all so different in mind, body, and spirit."

I nodded in agreement. What she said seemed perfectly logical to me. Kayura really had never seen any of us fight, and this seemed a fair way to evaluate us as warriors. It was an evaluation of what she needed to teach us, and for the guys, it might be a test to see where they stood as warriors, too. All of us needed to train.

Kayura approached me and motioned me into the center of the circle. I swallowed the lump in my throat and steadied my breathing. "I will call the fighter back to the circle, and then, the next person in the circle will enter."

"It's like tag-team boxing," Kento said, but I had begun to focus on the fights to come. I didn't have time to be annoyed at Kento's quip. I locked my hands and stretched them up to the sky before leaning down and stretching my legs again to gain focus. The quiet of the clearing only aided in my concentration.

"Ryo," Kayura said, and I stood up to face Kayura and Ryo. Kayura gave a nod, and Ryo stooped into a crouch as I raised my hands.

He launched himself at me, and I raised my hands to strike him. He swung his leg up to kick me, but I ducked. We were almost the same speed, but I thought I might be a little faster at dodging than Ryo was.

I jogged backwards, and then, I reversed my steps and charged Ryo. I swung a punch at him, but he blocked it with his arm, and then, his leg came up and slammed into my chest. I gasped as the air was knocked from my lungs. I staggered backwards to dodge another punch from Ryo.

I moved out of range, and I realized Ryo paused to wait for me to steady myself again. This was a sparring test, after all, and his goal was not to beat me senseless, which I had no doubt he could do if he pleased. He was strong, but I thought I might still be faster than him. I just needed to dodge his blows. I didn't like the thought of taking another kick like that one.

I charged at him, and he ran at me, too. I swerved out of his way when we were close, and his punch went wide. I swung my leg up to kick him, but he turned and blocked it. I caught myself during my fall, and I swung out my other leg to trip him.

Ryo jumped out away from me to avoid my kick. I righted myself, and I ran at him again. I swung a couple punches at him, but he blocked them. Then, I finally landed a kick in his side. To my shock, my kick didn't faze Ryo. He returned the blow with a punch to my chest. I staggered backwards. Damn, how was he so strong?

"Ryo out," Kayura called, and I felt silently thankful that Ryo was finished. I could never have bested him.

N'deki stepped forward because she was the next one in the circle. When she only shuffled a few steps into the ring, Ryo gave her a nudge. I grinned and ran at her.

I landed my first couple of punches. She gasped when I hit her and staggered backwards. She hadn't successfully blocked any of them. I took the moment to press my advantage. I was on the offensive, after all, and I kicked her in the side.

N'deki stumbled backwards again, and my kicks almost put her outside of the circle. She bit her lower lip and made an effort to kick me, but I dodged out of her way. Then, I closed the distance between us and delivered another kick to her side. She gasped, and she was already in her spot when Kayura called, "N'deki out."

I felt proud, but then, Zera stepped into the ring. She ran at me, and I ducked to avoid her fists. I delivered a kick in her side, but it didn't move the giant girl.

Instead, her knee came up into my stomach. I gasped in pain and removed myself from her range. In doing so, I avoided a set of punches meant for me. Damn, she was harder to move than Ryo had been. At least we'd both been relatively the same size. On the plus side, I thought Zera seemed slow at blocking.

She ran at me again, and I moved out of the way of her kick. I dropped down and knocked her remaining leg out from under her. She fell, and I pulled myself up to my feet. Zera didn't stay down long, but hopped up to deliver a series of punches. I dodged a couple, but she landed some on me.

I ignored the pain in my chest and arms and swung my leg up to kick Zera. I missed her the first time, so I pressed forward with some punches. Then, I landed a kick. She didn't seem bothered, and I removed myself from her attacking range again.

I moved back in on her. She swung at me, and my arms stung where she hit. I smacked her in the side with a series of kicks, and I finally forced her backwards a little. Then, a blow hit my side. She'd kicked me and knocked me off balance. I fell to the ground, and as I worked to get myself up, Kayura called, "Zera out."

I stood and watched as Seiji entered the circle with me. We stared at each other for a moment, and then, I sprinted towards him. I delivered a series of punches, which Seiji blocked. When I went to kick him, he evaded my blow, too. Damn, he moved fast.

Then, Seiji pressed an attack on me. He landed some punches and a kick, but the air wasn't knocked out of me like it was with Ryo and Zera. However, as I retreated a couple of steps to get out of Seiji's range, I realized Seiji was probably going 'easy' on me, per say. I looked at him and realized he probably wasn't using all his strength or trying to intentionally knock me senseless. This was only a sparring test, after all.

I ran at him again, but Seiji closed the gap between us and struck at me. I blocked his blows, but the kick in the side threw me off balance. I caught myself and swung my other leg out to trip him.

He moved quickly and avoided my leg. Then, he struck me with a kick of his own. I spiraled off balance again and toppled over on the ground. I jumped up, and Seiji had backed off to wait for me to right myself.

"Seiji out," Kayura called before we could fight again.

I heard her running towards me before I saw her. I dodged out of Nakeisha's sprint, but she swung her leg out and nailed me in the stomach. I stumbled a little, but her kick wasn't too powerful. I retaliated with a couple punches. Nakeisha blocked a couple, but when I hit her, she didn't smart away from my blows.

I kicked and Nakeisha darted out of range before coming at me from the side. She landed another kick, but I retaliated by knocking her legs out from underneath her. She struck at me, and I lost my balance. I pulled my face out of the earth and rolled away from the kick that she aimed at me.

Even though she wasn't as powerful as some of the others, I knew Nakeisha was really fighting me. We both poured all of our mind, body, and soul into this fight. I hopped up and ran over to punch Nakeisha.

She dodged me, but I finally got within range. She blocked a couple punches, but I landed a kick. When I did, she struck out with her fists. I hammered her again with my leg. A grin appeared on her face as she punched me again. We both kept striking at each other, and I knew neither one of us would move out of range.

"Nakeisha out," Kayura called, and only then did we back away from each other. I was panting when I turned around to face Cye.

I went to kick him, but Cye moved out of my way. He blocked most of my blows, but he didn't strike back at me. It felt like the only one fighting. I kept kicking and throwing punch after punch, but he didn't really respond. He kept dodging and blocking.

I tried to kick his legs out from underneath him, but Cye evaded my efforts. Then, he swung at me and connected with my shoulder. His punch was well aimed, even if it wasn't powerful. He was also too quick and agile for me to block him. He hit me again with a series of kicks that forced me out of range.

"Cye out," Kayura called, and I looked up to see Kento run into the ring.

I dodged Kento's initial charge and ducked behind him to kick him. I hit him multiple times, but he didn't budge. Instead, he swung around and delivered a blow to my shoulder.

I staggered backwards. While Ryo and Zera had sent me reeling, I couldn't feel my arm for a moment. Damn, Kento's body might really be made of rock.

I scampered away from his blows easily because I didn't want to get hit again. I kicked him a couple of times, but I couldn't really get a good hit on him. I went to knock his legs out from under him. Surely that might work.

Kento slammed his knee into me when I was about to connect with his knees. I gasped and rolled away from him. I couldn't think straight. Shit, that hurt.

"Kento out," Kayura thankfully ended that match. I smarted under all the blows, and I silently loathed Kento and his huge muscles. It didn't matter if I was faster than him or not because he would just stand there until he could hit me.

I stood up to face Rowen. He moved consciously into the circle, and I saw the hesitation in his eyes. It was the same look he had given me after my first battle.

I lunged at him because he was afraid. Of what, I didn't care at that moment. I delivered a series of punches, but he blocked them. I then slammed him with a couple kicks, but he ducked away without retaliating.

Rowen's running made my heart pump harder and faster. I ran at him again and delivered as many kicks and punches as I could manage. I met his eyes. Fight me Rowen. I hoped that's what my gaze told him.

Fight me, Rowen. Don't hold back because I'm your girlfriend.

He evaded me, and he was faster than I was. I couldn't catch him. This frustrated me. I knew he could fight. I chased him down, but I couldn't seem to get in range.

I jumped. I flung out of the rhythm of the chase and pounced on him. We both tumbled to the ground, and now, Rowen went to throw me off me. Before I knew it, he picked me up and tossed me on my back.

For a moment, I had no air. I thought I was drowning. Then, I gasped, but Rowen wasn't standing over me. "This is over," Rowen told Kayura. I staggered to my feet in time to watch Rowen stalk back to his place in the circle. He refused to meet my gaze.

I provoked him, and he retaliated. Out of all the blows, it had been the most real. He made a real attack on me in his frustration at my desire to fight. I rubbed him the wrong way, but I realized I wasn't sorry.

A/N: (for Plans): So, the masked creatures that are about to appear got inspired by the masks of Greek and ancient drama. Those masks are full of expression without actually being animated, and there is something so powerful, compelling, and creepy about masks. Anyway, I needed to go back to the Lair in this chapter to set up some suspense for what is coming.

Also, this chapter showed us that Ryo's not being honest to his mates when it comes to one particular person. Ryo's a complicated person, and I felt his 'dark side' needed to come out a little bit more in this chapter. We've seen him lose his temper before, but here, I felt something different happened. Ryo purposefully went after Kaede, and that's kind of a big deal because he was pretty blatantly going against the wishes of everyone else he knows.

Anyway, I liked the Mia/Lily scene. It was more of an inspired piece than something that I planned to put into the story, but it serves its purpose in a couple chapters when Mia and Lily have another huge moment together that needed some background. Obviously, the Mia/Lily empathy is setting up a plot device that's kind of a big deal.


	33. Training

**Training**

(Kento)

Nilla slipped out of the ring, and Kayura gave her spot back to her. I thought she seemed kind of fast, but she panted as she took her place beside Ryo and Rowen. Then, Kayura moved over and tapped N'deki on the shoulder.

"It's your turn," Kayura said to the scrawny girl. N'deki paled as she inched her way to the center of the circle. Great. This wasn't going to be hard at all.

"Zera," Kayura murmured, and Zera stepped forward. It was funny watching the giant girl beside such a skinny midget. N'deki bit her lower lip as Zera charged at her.

Zera landed a kick that shot N'deki across the circle. She tumbled into Cye, who pushed her back to her feet. N'deki panted and huffed, but she didn't move on Zera. I watched the frustration build in Zera's eyes, and she attacked N'deki again. Her punches smashed the small girl, who wasn't nearly as quick as Nilla had been.

"Zera out," Kayura said, and I could hear the strain in her voice. Seiji stepped into the ring. He waited until N'deki had the patience to charge him. Really, though, it was pathetic. She couldn't land a punch or a kick on Seiji. How did this girl get an armor?

N'deki kept winching and ducking out of range when Seiji hit her. I knew Seiji didn't hit that hard, and I could tell he was going super easy on her because she was new. I couldn't suppress a groan.

Kayura seemed to get the hint. "Seiji out," she said, and Nakeisha sprinted towards N'deki. Oh, this would be good. Nakeisha always found a way to be annoyed with anybody who she thought wasn't up to her level.

Nakeisha punched her back into the side of the ring where Rowen and Nilla stood. "Fight back!" Rowen snapped, but N'deki only kept trying to run and dodge Nakeisha's punches. Nakeisha caught her, though, and delivered a solid kick that sent her sprawling on the ground.

"Nakeisha out," Kayura said, and I could hear an edge in her voice. This wasn't going well for her pupil. Cye stepped into the ring, and he, too, waited for N'deki to attack him. It took freaking forever, but N'deki finally charged Cye.

I could tell Cye tried not to attack her, but her attacks on him looked weak. I could see Cye looked bored. I thought everyone that had fought N'deki looked frustrated and bored. I know Kayura had been worried about the girl and her armor, but it didn't help that she was easily the weakest among us.

"Cye out," Kayura said after the fight seemed to have gone long enough. It had been N'deki's best fight, but Cye had been incredibly patient with her. He let her go on the offensive, which gave her a break from the poundings she had been getting.

Well, I was probably going to give her another beating. I stepped into the ring, and I charged at her, but she ran from me. I wasn't fast, but I kept running for her. Finally, I leapt forward and knocked her to the ground. It was a silly trip, and when I got her down, I didn't know what to do with her.

"Kento out," Kayura snapped before I could attack her. I slunk back to my spot like an injured animal. "Rowen in."

Rowen charged her without hesitation. N'deki couldn't out run him. Rowen slammed her with a couple of kicks, and N'deki feebly blocked them and tried to back her way out of the circle. However, her retreat enraged Rowen, and he began to punch and kick her mercilessly.

"Stop!" Kayura shouted, but Rowen kept pounding on the girl, who had began to cry. Kayura dashed into the circle and drove the staff between Rowen and N'deki. Rowen leapt backwards to catch his breath.

"What are you doing?" he growled at N'deki. "Fight! You have an armor for a reason! That was pathetic!"

"Stop this," Kayura snapped at Rowen, but he just shook his head. A frown darkened Kayura's face, and I wanted to help her, but I felt a pang of guilt because I agreed with Rowen. What the hell was N'deki doing?

"I'm leaving," N'deki muttered as she turned away and ran from the circle. Rowen rolled his eyes and turned away from the direction she ran.

"Fine!" he shouted. "What a waste!"

Kayura glared at all of us before she said, "Pair up and train each other. I need to find her."

For a moment, we all stared around the circle at each other. Rowen kept his arms crossed, and his eyebrows looked like they were about to rise above his forehead. "Good job," Seiji growled. "That was very mature of you, Rowen."

"Not my fault she can't do shit," Rowen snapped. "She runs around, almost gets herself killed, and now this? Come on, she's leagues behind the rest of us."

"You should give her a break," Cye spoke up. "Come on, she's doing her best."

"I kind of doubt that," Rowen said. "Does anyone really believe that's the best she can do? She's holding back."

"So maybe she is, but I don't want N'deki's personal problems to stop me from training," Nakeisha said as she stepped into the circle.

Seiji stepped forward with Nakeisha and said, "Let's just break off into little groups right now. There's too much tension to keep this going. When Kayura is ready, we'll train in a large group."

"Why is this on Kayura's schedule?" Nilla questioned. "I still want to train in a group. I know she's powerful, but come on, I do we do everything she says?"

When Seiji answered, "Yes," Rowen answered, "No." The two of them met each other's gaze, and now it was Seiji's turn to have his eyebrows shoot up his forehead.

"The last time I checked, Kayura was the Ancient One's heir," Seiji said with his gaze still fixed on Rowen, who simply shrugged.

"Hey, I'm just saying I would be fine having the sparring circle continue," Rowen said.

Seiji replied, "Yes, and we've had a lot of success with sparring in a large group. We're not ready for that, yet. There's still too large of a gap in fighting ability, and I'm not sure we're all in the right state of mind to do this exercise now."

"Fine, fine, have it your way," Rowen said as he raised up his hands in surrender. "How are we going to split up?"

Nakeisha met my gaze, and we both grimaced. "Let's keep it friendly," Nakeisha replied. "I'll be . . . not working with Kento."

"Good here," I replied. "Who isn't opposed to fighting with me? Come on, I know there's one of you who can take me."

Nilla and Zera stared at each other, but neither of them said anything. Finally, I realized all three of the ladies had any intention of sparing with me. "Come on, are all of you chicken?"

"No offense, but I think you would be a slightly shitty teacher," Nilla said. My jaw dropped open, but before I could speak, I heard the clanging of the Ancient's staff.

Kayura appeared in the clearing again, but she was alone. "We were going to train in smaller groups, if that's okay with you, Kayura," Seiji explained.

"That might be better for now," Kayura said in a subdued voice. "Have you decided on pairings?"

"Like everything else, that's been a problem," I grumbled. I looked down at Kayura, but she didn't show any sign of being ruffled.

Kayura turned away and looked at the circle when she said, "Actually, I want Kento to come with me to train N'deki."

Nakeisha laughed, but I was too shocked to turn away from Kayura. "I'm going to do what?"

"Seiji, take Nakeisha," Kayura spoke to the circle without turning back to me. "Rowen, take Zera. Ryo, Cye, and Nilla can work together."

Finally, Kayura turned back to me and nodded. I trudged after her, and when we were farther away, I said, "What do you think I can do to help N'deki? She's kind of weak."

While she kept walking, Kayura said, "I know all five of you have a healthy fear of the power of the armors, and it is the power of the armor that N'deki fears. She needs to learn to fight while maintaining control over the armor."

"And you're sure I'm the right one for this?" I asked. Kayura stopped and turned back to look up at me.

"I am completely sure. I will help you, but N'deki seems to have a deep feeling of the original nature of the armor," Kayura whispered. "I don't think the other three understand, yet, that the armors did belong to Talpa. I think only N'deki can sense that her armor has as great capacity to do evil."

I sighed. "Yeah, that feeling kind of sucks," I muttered, but Kayura only smiled.

"This is why I need you."

(N'deki)

I wiped the tears out of my eyes with my hand, but the cold armor wouldn't absorb the water like my skin would have done. I just needed to see long enough to reach the manor and get out of here. Who was I kidding? I didn't belong here. I'd almost killed myself several times, and I was terrible in a battle.

I looked up and saw the manor. I lengthened my stride to reach the door. Then, before I could put my hand on the knob, the door opened and I was face to face with Mia.

"I'm so sorry," I gasped as I backed away and whipped my head around to try and hide the tears. Once again, I realized that the metal armor was doing zero good at trying my eyes.

A hand touched my shoulder, and I looked up into Mia's face. "Are you okay?" she asked, a frown upon her face. I went to nod, but I couldn't fake it and shook my head. I blubbered out the word no a couple of times.

"Oh!" Lily gasped from the doorway. Now, I wanted to die. Great, I didn't need another person seeing my humiliation. I had already failed as a fighter, and now, all of these people got to see how little I really belonged to this group. My unworthiness to own this armor seemed like a neon sign painted on my back.

"Do you need anything?" Mia asked and patted my back. I shook my head.

"I want to leave," I sputtered. "Now."

"We were just going!" Lily exclaimed. "We can take you home, N'deki. It'll be fine."

I heard the ringing of the staff before Kayura spoke. "She's not going anywhere. If you need to go, then do so, but N'deki is coming with me. We need to talk."

Her voice was firm, but she didn't sound angry. I peered up through my wet eyelashes at Kayura. No, she didn't look upset, but she wasn't ready to let me quit, either. She kept her eyes on me as Mia ushered N'deki into her jeep. When the vehicle pulled away, and it was just Kayura and I, the Lady Ancient motioned me to follow her.

I crept behind her, head hanging down, but she said, "Come and walk beside me, N'deki."

I did so quickly, and I was surprised at how soft Kayura's voice was when she spoke to me. Maybe she really wasn't angry at me for being a lousy warrior. I glanced up at her several times as we strolled through the forest, but Kayura only stared ahead and ignored me. I let her be in thought because I was afraid of the lecture I thought would follow her silence.

Finally, we stopped, and Kayura asked me to sit down on the ground in front of her. I did so without a second thought. She laid the staff beside her and then, she looked up at me. "N'deki, I know this cannot be easy for you. Indeed, I think it is harder for you than the others because you are gifted so differently."

"Yeah, I'm different," I grumbled. "I'm special in that way that means I can't do anything."

I looked at Kayura and waited for her to rebuke me, but she didn't say anything for a while. Then, she sighed and muttered, "Child, you have no idea why you matter so much to us and to me."

I frowned and knit my brow together. "No one wants me, Kayura. I'm useless."

Kayura shook her head as she held my gaze. "No, you most certainly are not. They are angry at you because they have seen the power of the Oni armor. They know what it is capable of doing."

"Yeah, but I'm not him, Kayura. I'm tiny, weak, and I'm a healer! Kayura, healers don't fight," I complained and threw my hands up in the air. However, a small smile touched Kayura's lips.

"I do not think it's a coincidence that you, a healer, were chosen by this armor," Kayura responded, and a sad smile slid over her face. "Do you want to hear more of the story?"

I sighed and shrugged. "I can't do anything else but sit and listen, can I? Fighting is no good."

"Hmm," Kayura muttered, "Do not let your thoughts take that road. I know what you have already seen, but I will share something with you. Let me hope it will give you strength because I need you to be one of us."

My mouth hung open as I went to protest, but Kayura shut her eyes, and in a soft voice, she began to speak. "I do not remember much. If I try, I can remember more of what happened. Many of my memories are suppressed and gone forever, I fear. Many of the things I remember came to me when I was first free of Talpa's power for the first time in hundreds of years."

I froze and listened, and I could only watch Kayura's lips move because her eyes remained closed. It was like she was meditating as she spoke, and I realized I was being privileged to hear something very personal. I wondered what things she thought she could share with me that would make me stronger.

"There was a weight removed from my soul. Maybe I was lost in a fairyland filled with spirits for hundreds of years. Maybe I was myself. I do not know. I have merged many aspects of who I was and who I am together, but that first moment, I awoke in battle. I was a child, lost and confused, and I did not know who I was or what I was doing. Talpa's power broke, I realize now, and it left me with no power of my own to resist."

I frowned, and then, Kayura opened her eyes and stared at me. "Do you understand?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"I'm trying," I muttered. "I mean, I understand that you want me to be braver in combat, but . . ."

"Listen first. I was taken, confused, lost like a wander ghost, and brought into the clutches of the spirit priest, Badamon. It was there that he invoked his magic upon me again, but when he did so, my soul found some strength to fight him. I did not trust him, and I let that feeling guide me. When I was there, all alone, with Badamon's magical amulet trying to bind my soul again, that I realized that I could not do this forever."

"What?" I asked when Kayura paused. "Do you mean you didn't want to fight? I thought you were a great fighter."

A wane smile spread over her face, and in a bitter voice, Kayura said, "I am. I am a very talented warrior. It was my training for hundreds of years. I remembered flashes of the time when I trained under Talpa. I remembered the ceremonies that he used to bind me to him as Badamon tried to contain my soul again. However, I remembered my clan, too. It was much later that I remembered my sister, but when Talpa's magic bore down upon me to bring me back to the Dynasty, I remembered my parents and their love for me."

I choked and wiped a tear from my eye. I did not want to start crying again. I had enough of crying, and now, Kayura's words, and the grief in them, made me think of my dad. I tried to wipe away more tears from my already puffy eyes as Kayura said, "I was unable to recover because Talpa and Badamon were too powerful. I was all too present for my possession. I remember it all vividly, but it was as if I was watching everything happen from behind a screen. It was like watching what you mortals call television. You see and hear everything, but you cannot affect the story."

"Kayura, I'm not that strong," I confessed. "I didn't survive possession or destroy evil spirits. I can't fight well. I am not strong."

Kayura sighed and shook her head. "N'deki, I am not asking anything more from you that what you already have to give me. You are so brave that it astounds me. You have come close to death twice already to save two innocent people. That is noble and shows me that you will be able to use this armor."

I sighed and shook my head. "I can't use it."

Kayura leaned forward and took my hands. "I think you can," she told me, and I felt the weight of her words inside of me like pieces of lead. They only made me feel more ashamed of what I had done in training today. "I know that you can use this power because it is still connected to me in a way. Even though I do not wear the armor anymore, part of it lingers with me. I guess it will never really leave me, and I will always feel bound to its bearer."

I shook my head and turned away. "Kayura, I'm not that special. You don't owe me anything. I think you deserve to be angry at me, but you're sitting here and trying to make me feel like I matter when I don't. This armor came to me by some mistake."

Kayura paused, and then, I saw a spark catch in her eye. "No, it was no mistake. The armor planned to come to you, and the day I gave it up, I knew I would see it again."

I perked up when she said she gave it up. "When did it happen?" I asked. "I mean, you told us, but tell me when it happened. What day?"

Kayura paused and then told me, "It was the day after we went out to the party. I had a dream that I needed to go to the caves. It was around the full moon, I believe."

I looked down on my fingers and counted. That hadn't been the night Ariel came, but then, I tried to recall what dream I had that night. Then, it struck me. "Kayura, I dreamed of Anubis freeing you when you gave up the armor."

"Ah," she said, and her voice was full of sadness, "See, things are not coincidental after all. You saw the armor coming to me when it was also leaving me. All our beginnings and endings are intertwined."

I sighed and looked down at my feet. "Maybe it is silly of me to want to quit, but I will need a lot more help to use this armor. I have no idea how."

Kayura raised my chin with her hand. "I think that you must teach yourself how to truly use this armor. I can help teach you to fight, but the armor picked you. It knows you can use it better than anyone right now."

I shrugged and turned away from the Lady Ancient. "I saw so much in my dreams, but I was afraid of the power I saw. I don't want that sort of destructive power," I confessed. "I can't figure out how to make the armor work in a way that doesn't frighten me."

"If you find a way, tell me," Kayura said as she picked up the staff. When she stood up, so did I.

"What do you mean, tell you?" I asked.

"I saw how powerful the armor can be, and I have not worn it since the day I was freed because I do feel I am worthy enough to harness its power," Kayura replied in a whisper. "So, when you understand this armor, tell me so that my curiosity may be fulfilled. I have turned my mind to thinking about the Ancient One's work, and that will take me a lifetime without bearing an armor."

Kayura stood up, and when I went to rise, Kayura put her hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Wait here," she said. "I need to go and see what is happening."

I sat in silence as Kayura walked away. I put my head into my hands. What was I going to do? I remembered how _debilitating_ it had been to try and use Anubis's sure kill during my first battle. I just couldn't do it, but I had no idea why. I couldn't figure out why I was so weak, and the only thing I knew how to do was heal people. However, healing people hadn't worked out quite well, either, because I found myself almost dead after every major attempt to help anyone.

What _was_ I supposed to do? I couldn't really blame Rowen for getting angry with me because, honestly, I deserved it. I couldn't fight. Why was I the only one not confident using my armor?

I looked up as I heard footsteps and saw Kayura and Kento come through the forest. I met Kento's eyes and looked away. Why did she bring Kento? Maybe Kayura wanted him to tell me to be tougher? I knew I needed to do that already, so what was the point?

"Uh, hey," Kento murmured as Kayura took a seat on the ground. Kento and I followed her lead. I stared down into my lap as Kento cleared his throat.

"Kento, tell N'deki how you deal with your armor," Kayura says, and I look up at Kento. He shrugs and squirms under my gaze.

"I . . . I, uh, I never had a huge problem with Hardrock," Kento stammers. "Well, that is until I, uh, found out about how the armor's belonged to Talpa."

I shook my head. "It's not that, Kento," I reply. "I'm not a fighter. It's not . . . well, it's partly that the armors were evil, but it's more so that I just don't like to fight."

"Maybe you just don't know what you're fighting for," Kento said, and a smile spread over Kayura's face. My jaw went slightly slack.

"I . . . I guess I'm fighting for . . ."

I can't finish the sentence. I'm not really fighting for the Nine. I should be, but I know I'm not there yet. It doesn't seem like I'm fighting for this world, either. "You see," Kento continues to speak, "when I was doubting my armor, remembering what I was fighting for helped me to fight again. It might take a while. I'm not saying this chat is going to work miracles."

I look at Kayura. "I'm fighting for you, Kayura," I reply in a steady voice. "I'm fighting for Ariel and my dad."

Kayura sighs. "That's a start."

A/N: This is a continuation of the last chapter, but after this chapter, there's going to be another battle scene. As I said, I'm trying to tie up several plot points before I start Part Four. I wanted to continue showing another side of Kento, and I wanted to show the Kayura/N'deki relationship from N'deki's point of view.


	34. The Shadow

**The Shadow**

(Nilla)

I entered the room on our first day back to H'ana High. Shuffling through the crowd, I felt it strange to be back. I stared into many faces of people I knew and didn't know, but I realized I hadn't cared to really look at people before now. Everyone looked so different, but they had one thing in common.

None of them knew.

I strolled into the classroom and Lily was already there. Her head lay across her arms, and she looked like she might be asleep. I walked over and stood above her, and then, she peered up at me.

"Did you get sick again?" I asked. I couldn't stop the frown from pulling my lips down when she nodded. "Was it bad?"

Lily shook her head. "No worse than usual. I didn't sleep much. I'm more tired than usual," she told me as she put her head back down and buried her face in her arms. I sighed and turned my attention back to the door.

Zera and Nakeisha entered the room. I met Nakeisha's eyes as I began to walk over towards them. "Morning," Nakeisha said as I stood beside her. All three of us looked out on the room of people, but none of us said a word for a moment. Then, I murmured, "I thought the idea was 'business as usual.' The two of you usually don't come around here."

I heard rustling on my left, and I turned to see Zera wave a manual. "N'deki is her tutor," Nakeisha reminded me. "That's business as usual."

I chuckled. Leave it to Zera and Nakeisha to do whatever they want. They would have come anyway, I knew, but I almost didn't understand why. Well, I guess I understood. We weren't friends, per say, but we were bonded together by something much stronger than friendship. We were partners in wearing the four seasonal armors.

More importantly, we were part of the nine.

Training went on, and it had been a learning experience. Kayura brought us out, and as we trained, everyone began to show their strengths and weaknesses. I knew I was faster and more agile than some people, and I had more proficiency than the other girls with my weapon. Well, I wasn't more proficient than Zera, but she left the training sessions often because she would get upset.

People losing it during training had been the biggest issue. I had never walked out on practice, but there were the repeat offenders. N'deki left practice the most often. When she fought someone who got impatient with her, she got upset and left. Even when Ryo and I had tried to be gentle with her during weapons practice, she had gotten upset and ran for the house. No one knew what to do with N'deki anymore, and Rowen was the most vocal about how disappointed he was with her in training. Kento and Cye were the most patient, so N'deki had been training with them, but it would only be a matter of time before something would happen to send her fleeing back to the manor.

Then, there had been Rowen. While he was critical of N'deki, he could also not train with Cye. Rowen also felt Cye was holding back during practice, and I would say I agreed with him. Well, I hadn't seen Cye fight before, but I thought Rowen was onto something because Cye had been more withdrawn and reserved. He and Zera never talked or were around each other these days, and his normal good mood had been replaced by a bland exterior. I didn't know what he felt because Cye kept things deep.

To compound the problem of not knowing how Cye felt, he avoided me, too. I wondered why, and when I asked Ryo about it, he said it was the armor. Great. Now both Rowen and Cye were avoiding me because of my armor.

It seemed the armors and their histories were causing problems for not just me, though. Nakeisha and Kento could barely be in the same room as each other. Well, they weren't great friends to begin with, and their personalities caused natural friction that the armors only intensified. Then, there had been the fights at practice between Kento and Nakeisha. They didn't even have to be training together to bicker, and they both had left practice over it.

The worse incident occurred when Zera and Kento were training. They fought hard, and things were well beyond the intensity of a training exercise. They were both so powerful that they couldn't help trying to see who was the stronger of the two. Anyway, Zera snapped at Kento, and then, Nakeisha got into the fray. All three of them ended the day after the fight got broken apart.

With Zera, fights weren't unusual. While N'deki cried and ran, Zera would just stop what she was doing and curse someone out, but when she was really upset, she would just stalk off silently. I didn't know what set her off, but she wouldn't stay to deal with the problem.

I couldn't imagine what it was like to be Kayura in this situation. She had to deal with four novice fighters and five guys who always didn't have the idea in mind to play nice. We were training for a war, I knew, but a lot of us lost sight of that very often. Seiji had the most focus, and I tried to follow his example of staying calm and putting myself into the practice, not to have a pissing contest, but to train.

So far, I felt my training was helping, and it was with Nakeisha that I found I had the best training sessions. We were both competitive and equally matched, and we both pushed ourselves to see who would give first. With weapons, I usually won the fights, but she was besting me in the weaponless fights. I wondered, if we fought with our armors, which one of us would win.

Lee, Tomo, and Ryo approached our group. "Morning," Ryo said. Lee and Tomo nodded, but neither one of them seemed that comfortable with Nakeisha and Zera around, and I really didn't blame them. However, at the same time, I didn't care.

"Any exciting plans for later?" I asked Ryo.

Ryo grinned back at me. "Same old deal, I guess," he said with a shrug. At this comment, Lee shot me a bitter look.

"Way to be inclusive," Tomo grumbled. "When do we get to hang out with anyone?"

"Soon, I guess," I replied. "Uh, maybe we should go . . . what should we do this weekend?"

"It's supposed to rain, so we might have to do something indoors," Lee said. "You know, we always used to go to that water park. Are the two of you sure you can find time in your busy schedule to go with us?"

"Yeah, we'll swing it," Ryo replied. At that moment, Akio came in the room, but he glanced at us, and with only a nod, he went to his seat.

"Speaking of people who are less interested in being with the group, what's up with your brother?" I asked Tomo.

Tomo shrugged. "Ask him. He hasn't said anything to me, but he's unhappy with something. No idea what, though."

At that moment, the rest of the students came in, including Cye. Since school was about to start, Zera and Nakeisha headed for the door while the rest of us wandered back to our seats. Class started, but I had to confess, training had exhausted me, so I began to fight drooping eyelids the moment I sat down.

_Bang!_

Several people screamed. I jerked up in my seat, all sleepiness gone. The crash came from down the hallway. The pleas for everyone to stay in their seats were ignored as people rushed to the door, and Ryo and I were right in front.

Down the hallway, the roof had fallen in, and immediately, I could tell it was them again. My pulse sped up as I saw two figures jump through the hole. Then, Ryo yanked me out of the doorway and pulled me to the other side of the room.

"We need – "

"They know what you look like!" Ryo hissed under his breath. "Remember how they found you? They know you. We'll have to get out through the window to put on the armor."

Cye joined us and said, "We'll need the armor because we can't be seen without the helmets on, and even with the armor, it'll be tricky not to get recognized."

"I'm game," I whispered as I dashed over and threw open a window. I hoped we could get away before anyone really noticed us. Fortunately, most people had already flooded out into the hallway, but that only meant we needed to move faster.

I leapt outside first, and in mid-air, I called my sub-armor. When I landed, Ryo and Cye were moments behind me. I didn't waste time and called, "Dao Ko!"

Even though I had my armor first, it was Ryo who led the charge up to the roof. I still hadn't gotten used to being able to jump up buildings. It wasn't natural, but the amount of gravity defying power I had when I wore the armor wasn't normal, either.

Cye, Ryo, and I ran along the roof, and soon, we came to the hole. "Look! There are holes in other places," I told Cye and Ryo. At that moment, a cloaked figure leapt from the hole. It landed in front of me, and instead of a face, I stared at a blue mask that was meant to look like someone weeping.

The cloaked figure pulled out a katana, and I reached for my swords. "Keep alert for their leaders!" Ryo shouted as he jumped into the hole while Cye came over and stabbed the cloaked figure in the back with his yari. When I slashed it with my swords, dust blew everywhere, and only the cloak and the mask remained.

As the cloak crumpled to the roof, I looked over to see three more masked figures coming towards us. "Cye!" I shouted, knowing I was going to need his help.

"What about Ryo?" he asked. I turned to see him at the edge of the hole.

"I need your help! Ryo can take care of himself for a while!" I yelled as I charged towards the cloaked and masked demons. These three were more prepared, but when Cye joined me, we finished the three of them off easily.

"I'm going to find another hole," I told Cye as I bounded across the roof. I leapt down into one of the other holes. People were running down the hallway, and I saw the masked demons making their way through the crowds. I sprinted to catch one and stabbed it. Then, I was thrown across the hallway. I slammed against the wall, and I saw the two demons that had thrown me.

As I struggled to get up before they attacked again, a blur of green and pink slammed into one of them. The other demon was cut down by a Seiji's no-dachi. Seiji offered me his hand, but I stood up on my own. "You okay?" Nakeisha asked as she came back over to us.

"Yeah," I replied. "I lost Cye and Ryo in the fight."

"We're trying to find anyone," Seiji replied. "If this is anything like before, these are only minions, and that means their leader is unfortunately near."

There was a cracking sound, and the wall behind me opened up. The building toppled down into the street below. Now, I could hear the noise of sirens and screaming in the streets. "Shit," Nakeisha hissed as a dozen robed soldiers poured in through the gaping wound.

The three of us began to attack them. I could hear the sounds of the battle around me as my sword clanged against the swords of the demons. I cut one of them down, but then, a chain wrapped around my one blade. I tried to tug it away, but the chain yanked the blade away from me and sent it clattering across the hallway. I turned to retrieve it, and a blow to the back sent me hurtling down the corridor.

Sprawled on the floor, all I could see were three cloaked figures coming towards me. I realized Nakeisha and Seiji had gotten separated from me. I went to thrust at the one demon, but another one smashed my wrist. I screamed in pain as my other sword slipped free of my grasp.

I looked up into the three unfeeling masks and saw the gleam of a sickle rise over my head.

(Ryo)

I landed in the familiar hallway, but now, I was surrounded by a circle of demons. I didn't waste time hacking into them, but I knew I would need a sure-kill to get all of them. Could I use my attack in this hallway? I looked around to see only demons around me.

"Come on!" I shouted as a huge grin spread over my face. Several more demons leapt through the hole in the roof. I locked my katana together. "Flare Up Now!"

I aimed the attack in one direction before turning and trying to fry the entire group of demons. I ceased the attack, and it had been a successful one. As I looked around, I realized the building had begun to burn, too.

I went to leap through the roof, but then, through the flames, came another black robed figure. I went to charge the creature, but when I slashed, it evaded my blades. I turned my head and stared at the face of a shrieking demon. The flames seemed to bring the mask to life, and I couldn't react as I stared at the flickering face.

I felt the shadow over my shoulder, and the demon threw my helmet off and pressed against my neck. A searing pain shot down my spine, and I couldn't turn around, even though I knew I would see the shadow if I did. As pain poured into my body, I wanted to turn around and see the force that haunted me.

The burning stopped, and as I was about to turn, a gush of water hit me in the face. I toppled over and slid across the floor. Cye came through the flames, followed by N'deki, and as I groped around to put on my helmet, Cye stabbed the screaming demon.

The cloak crumpled to the ground, and the mask lit on fire. It burned down into a pile of ash before the fire stopped. I kicked the pile on the ground. "What were you doing?" Cye asked. "Ryo, the entire hallway is charred! This part of the building might fall down soon!"

"I . . . let's go," I decided to forgo the strange story about the masked demon and the Shadow. The three of us headed down the hallway and ran around the school, but the students all left, and we found no more demons.

"Where is everyone else?" Cye asked.

I felt a stabbing pain through my right arm. "They're still fighting," I replied. "Maybe . . ."

"They're in the gym," N'deki replied. I turned to question her, but when we locked eyes, I knew she was right. I just hadn't felt it first. That's all it was. As I led the charge to the gym, I fought the need to look over my shoulder.


	35. Virtue and Power

**Virtue and Power**

(Ryo)

I was standing above a wasteland. Fires sprung up all across it as demon soldiers combed their way across it, killing all in their wake.

_This is your life. Your army._

I turned to my left, and there stood a demon with dark hair, bronze skin, and eyes as red as the pit of a volcano. I gaped at him, shaking my head.

_This is your destiny. Embrace it._

'_No,_' I hissed. The demon cocked his head to one side. A smile flickered across his lips.

_You already have._

I jolted upright, sweat pouring down my back. I panted and ran a hand through my hair. Why more of these damn dreams? This one was new, and disturbingly more vivid. I untangled the sheets from my body as I got up out of bed. I put on my sub-armor and stashed a pair of clothes in my backpack.

I was off, running through the cool night air, which couldn't seem to keep me from sweating. I felt as if I had a fever, but since I wore the Wildfire armor, maybe this wasn't abnormal. I knew that dream freaked me out. It was the first time I had seen that demon – and I knew he was a demon.

Before I knew it, I realized where my body was taking me. I had auto-piloted to Kaede's front doorstep.

I went to throw a rock up at Kaede's window, but it flies open before I can do anything. She stares down at me. "Ryo, what are you doing?" she asks. "Get up here. The door is open."

I think about jumping in the window, but I go through the door and up the stairs. They wind upwards, and at the top, like a statue in a dark, purple night dress, Kaede stands with a smile on her lips. "Big scare at school today, huh? It's going to be closed for a while," she says as I reach up and take her hand.

"Yeah, I . . . I couldn't really sleep because of it," I told Kaede. "Did you . . . did you see anything?"

Kaede tilts her head to one side. "You know I . . ."

"What?"

Kaede tilts her head down, and her face is blank as she thinks. I wonder if she's seen us. Did she see me? Does she have any idea of what came after us today? Finally, she whispers, "Those things . . . they weren't gang members, arsonists, or whatever the police are calling them. Those were . . . demons."

She meets my eyes as she says the last word. I simply nod. I can't disagree with her. She's right, and I can respect her for figuring that much out for herself. Kaede places her hand on my face. "When did you . . ."

"Figure it out? I can't say . . . but I know. I had a dream about them," I tell her before I can stay my tongue.

She sighs. "Ryo, you would tell me if . . ."

A chill shoots down my spine. "I would tell you what?"

"Well," Kaede hesitates, "if anything weird were happening. I thought . . . I saw something else, and I _know_ something else, but I can't put words to it."

I kiss her lips. I begin slowly, sensually, and gently to quiet her fears. There is no way I can tell her about all of this. The demonic powers we fought were supposed to be forgotten, and I can't tell her. Fortunately, Kaede deepens the kiss, and we stay locked together for several moments.

When we pull apart, she whispers, "So you do know."

"I can't . . ."

"I don't understand," she mutters. "First, your friends can't know. Now, you know what I'm talking about, but you don't want to talk about it? I don't understand you, Ryo. I thought . . ."

"I love you," I mutter to her. "I really do. Believe me. I can't put words to it, either. That's all."

She smiles, takes my hand, and we walk into her bedroom. I know she is satisfied, for now, and that will have to do.

*******

In the darkness, I feel Kaede pressed against my side. She has one arm slung across my chest while the other one is entwined in my hair, twirling the ends. I stroke her back with one hand, while the other one strokes her cheek.

"Ryo, I don't get you," she whispers into the dark. "I think I know you, but then, I always feel so far away from you. How can that be?"

I chuckle. "I don't know."

"You never know," she mutters. "I feel closer to you than anyone else alive, but I feel like I know so little about you. I don't understand it."

"Tell me about it."

"Do you really feel that close to me?" she asks as she stirs a bit in my arms, and she pulls her face off my chest to look up into my eyes.

I don't know how to respond. The bond between me and Kaede feels like a bond between me and another armor bearer. I can't tell her that, though. I can't tell her she is like another armor bearer to me.

"I don't feel this close to many people," I tell her.

"Is that it? Another cryptic answer? But then, you never did tell me what I wanted to hear."

"Isn't that why you like me?" I ask as I pet her head, and she relaxes and uses me as a pillow again.

"It is. You do what I would do. I think it could drive me a bit crazy," she says as she buries her head into my chest.

I want to sit up now, but I keep myself fixed in place. What do I say to this? I know it's true, in some deep part of my mind. I don't think what we've done is wrong . . . but I know she is literally playing with fire.

I know I'm not sure what I've played with.

(Nakeisha)

I'm staring up at the ceiling. Sleep escapes me. I sigh and drag myself out of bed. I put on my sub-armor and head downstairs as quietly as possible. I pass through the empty kitchen, and as I cross the lawn, heading towards the forest, I hear the door close behind me.

"Who is that?" I hiss.

"It's just me . . . Nilla," the soft voice says as she crosses the grass. I pause and wait until the girl is beside me before I start walking. We match each other's strides and head deeper into the forest.

"So . . . no one can sleep?" Nilla asks. I sigh and shake my head. It's silent for a moment before Nilla says, "For me, it's the visions. I've been having . . . more of them."

"What do you see? N'deki doesn't have them anymore."

"I see . . . myself, but not really," she replies hesitantly. "It's like this whole other person, who is also me in some way, talking to me about . . . fate."

Before I can stop myself, I quip, "At least you know your sure kill. I felt helpless as hell today because I have no idea what to do."

"It hasn't come to you?" Nilla asks. "But you've trained so hard!"

I throw my arms into the air, and they clatter against my sides when I drop them again. "I know! I can't understand it at all!"

We walk farther into the woods, and then, we come to our training clearing. Nilla pauses, then whispers, "Fight me. In full armor. We'll figure it out."

"Wait, so I'm supposed to just let you fire your sure kill at me?" I snap. "No thanks. I like to live."

"That's not what I mean!" Nilla exclaims. "Just go with me. Dao Tei!"

I roll my eyes. "Dao Nin!"

The surge of power doesn't get old, and I grin as I move about in my powerful armor. "Okay, what did you have in mind?" I ask as I pull the kama off my back. The scythes gleam in the light of the waning moon, and I can see the sparkle of Nila's tachi in the moonlight. She held one in each hand, and I dropped my kama in front of me.

"Let go," Nilla called from across the clearing. "Let it come to you. You did that before, with the armor, didn't you?"

I knew I did. I sighed and closed my eyes. What did I want to see? I pictured the entire forest changing into one huge desert. I concentrated on the feel of the sand and the hot, arid air blowing around my face.

"What . . . what are you doing?" I heard Nilla ask in a frightened voice. "Nakeisha . . . stop that."

"What?"

"The forest . . . it's gone," Nilla muttered. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing!" I shouted as I kept my eyes shut. I could almost taste the sand particles sticking to my lips. Even though my eyes were closed, I could see my opponent standing across from me. It wasn't Nilla I imagined, but the sorceress with the yellow eyes.

I felt the power coming up through me.

"Tornado of Heat!"

The words peeled from my lips, and a massive, swirling mess of burning sand and ash exploded. I jerked my eyes open, and I saw it rip through the forest as it headed straight for Nilla.

"Venom Bite!"

The two attacks collide, and I steady myself against the recoil from the blast. After the air clears, I can see we've destroyed most of the forest around us, and I gaze, wide-eyed, at the massive destruction.

"Why didn't you stop!" Nilla shouts as she runs over to me.

"I just called my attack!"

"You turned this entire damn place into a desert! What did you do?" Nilla asks, and she's no more than several feet away from me by now.

"I . . . I did what? There's no way . . ."

"Trust me," the red-haired girl snaps as she yanks off her helmet. I, too, remove my helmet, and the cool night air feels good against my sweaty, flushed face. "You did some magic mojo. It was powerful, by the way."

I shrug. "I don't know . . . I suppose we ask Kayura, right?"

Nilla sighs. "Yes we do. And you never . . ."

"Not before tonight . . . not before now."


End file.
